The Legend of Zelda: A Storm of Wind and Time
by Aegis Runestone
Summary: A young boy sets off from his home to go the annual Swordsman Tournament in Hyrule. A gang of pirates are planning to steal the Ocarina of Time and the boy gets caught up in it. But, who is the real enemy? The pirates... or someone behind the King?
1. Prologue: The Legend and The Princess

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, regions or areas of the Legend of Zelda series. My remade interpretations of certain characters and areas are my own, but the rest is given credit to Nintendo._

The Legend of Zelda:

A Storm of Wind and Time

By: Aegis Runestone

Prologue: The Legend and the Princess

_There is a well-known legend in Hyrule that occurred hundreds of years ago. An evil man named Majora, who wore a twisted mask, attacked the land of Hyrule to cause pain and suffering. He was a dark shaman who performed horrible rituals on his victims. The King rallied his armies to attack the menace, but it was to no avail._

_ But then a warrior wielding the blade of evil's bane stepped forward and slew Majora, and destroyed his power by shattering the mask. Because he had traveled through time itself to save his land, the warrior was known hereafter as the "Hero of Time." Following Majora's destruction, the Hero vanished into his own era._

_ Years passed; Hyrule grew and prospered; many forgot the horrors of Majora, but never would they forget the legend. All seemed peaceful, but unbeknownst to the people, a new legend would soon be written. Even in their own scriptures, there was a prophecy written by the Sages, but the people were so caught up in their daily lives that they did not read. And those that did, only believed such things were fairy tales. This is the story of the fulfillment of that prophecy._

_-S-_

_ It started a long time ago, not too long ago; four and half years ago evil returned to Hyrule when the Princess disappeared. After several days of searching, no one could find her anywhere at all. Some say that she was taken by monsters, others blamed the King, but whatever the reason she was gone. _

_ The King was devastated; he had lost his wife just a few years prior and now his kingdom's survival was threatened with the disappearance of his only heir to the throne._

_ Worse things were to come. For at that very year, a group of pirates never before known on the seas, rose up and assaulted outlying islands, leaving villages to burn, while stealing any valuables they could find before vanishing into the depths. _

_ In response, the King set up tighter defenses against these raiders. Word had spread on the wings of the wind that the pirates were planning an attack on Hyrule, even an attack against the Royal Family itself. The King scoffed at these rumors, proclaiming that these new defenses would protect anything, including the sacred Ocarina of Time from any evil hands._

_ Unfortunately, it was not the pirates the King should have kept his eye on..._


	2. Chapter 1: Islander

Chapter 1: Islander

"'hoy, Miss Tetra! Time to get up!"

Tetra sat up in her bed sharply and groaned. She was not in the mood to be wakened so early in the day. Rubbing her tired eyes, she silently cursed the offender who had awakened her. Peering into the doorway of her cabin, she could see him behind the half-drawn curtains.

"Finally!" Gonzo said. He was a tall man—at least to Tetra—having a thick build of a body, wearing a dirty-green shirt with tattered sleeves. His nose was slightly red; he wore a purple bandanna over his head covering up most of his black hair. He also had crimson sash around his waist and beneath he wore white pants and thick black tarnished boots.

"Finally!" he repeated, stepping inside. "I thought ya had gone to sleep fer good! Is there something bothering you, Miss?" Instead of being friendly, Tetra scowled at him. Gonzo was being too pushy again.

"Hmmm..." she mumbled. "Yes, there is something bothering me; it happens to be standing in my cabin doorway." Folding her arms, she glared at Gonzo.

He hung his head while standing there in the wooden doorway. "I'm... sorry, Miss Tetra," he apologized. "I just worry about ya."

"Ugh... did you have to wake me?" Tetra asked with indignation in her voice. "What's so...?" Then she remembered; today was _that_ day, a very important day. "Oh..." she sighed, and nearly slapped her face in humiliation. "All right, all right. I'll be on deck in a few minutes. Call the others, if this is the day I'm thinking of, then... we need to all meet. Don't ask now, Gonzo!" she added, seeing him about to open his mouth. "Just get up there, and make sure all the others are on deck."

"Aye-aye, Miss!" Gonzo saluted her and then ran out of the room swiftly.

Sighing again, Tetra wondered if she was being too harsh on him._ I always told the boys to never wake me unless I asked ahead of time. But then again... I was so tired last night... I might have asked without remembering._

Tetra slid out of her bed, and her feet touched the cool wood floor. She smiled contently, that was what she liked about wooden floors; they did not become freezing cold like stupid marble and stone floors. She stretched out and walked over to her dresser grudgingly to change.

With a vigorous shake of her head, Tetra opened the drawers and pulled out her clothes. She swapped from her long, and white night-shirt into her usual outfit. On top, it was a blue vest and a purple sleeveless shirt. Around her waist, she put on a red sash, and to cover her legs, she wore white pants that went down to just a bit above her ankles.

Tetra slipped into her brown sandals, and then proceeded to tie a red neckerchief around her neck. It was the favorite part of her outfit because it was so comfortable to wear. She took out a belt of throwing daggers and strapped it to her waist. Finally, she buckled a curved shortblade to her waist, and then went to fixing her hair. 

Her hairstyle was easy to manage, so it didn't take her long to do. Tetra was not a vain girl, but she always enjoyed looking decent. She tended to roll her golden blond hair into a curl that sat on her head, and that was all there was to it. As did her hair, Tetra's hand brushed the pointed end of her ear—a common trait among the people in the world. Her skin, like the rest of the pirates, was tanned. Even for a fourteen year old, she was quite attractive and that's the effect she wanted.

_Ah, looking good as usual._ She winked at herself after checking herself in the mirror. With a sly grin and feeling a less tired, she proceeded out of her cabin out into the interior of ship. Not bothering to stop, she went straight to the door that led out to the ship's deck, and opened it.

Outside, and waiting for her, were her pirates, or her 'boys.' The young captain was pleased to see that they had followed her orders as prompted and were all assembled together: Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Mako, Zuko, and even the swabbie, Niko. They all looked a little puzzled and somewhat anxious.

"Oh good," she said, smiling. "Despite the rude awakening I got this morning, I'm glad to see you're all on your toes."

She sized them all up and then took stock of the ship, gazing around carefully. The large pirate flag was in place, the catapult in the back on the raised deck over the cabin door was unarmed and loose, and the sails were rolled up so the ship would avoid moving while Tetra was holding the meeting.

"Uh... Miss Tetra?" Gonzo put his hand up and pointed to the sky. "It's uh... noon." He corrected her with a slightly uneasy look on his face.

Tetra blinked and looked up to see the sun in the middle of the sky. "Whatever... you know what I mean, Gonzo."

Nudge, another large man, approached her. He had long black hair, a large chin, and wore a light purple shirt with an orange scarf around his head. 

"Miss Tetra," he said, clearing his throat before speaking. "What have you called us here for?"

Tetra smiled slyly again and began to pace in front of the lined up pirates. She gazed over her boys; Gonzo was in the middle of the group with Nudge to the left, and Senza—another pirate with a strong build—to the right. Mako, Zuko, and Niko—the shorter pirates—were all in front of the three large ones.

"Gentlemen," she said, causing them all swallowed at once. Tetra never called them that unless it was important. "I've been thinking it's time to pull our raid on the mainland. Specifically, on the Royal family." Worried expressions; she knew what they were thinking. The pirates and their young leader had been planning an assault on the mainland for quite some time now. She had held back specific details about the plan, but her boys knew that it had to do with the Annual Swordsman Tournament. "As you all know, the tournament begins in a few days."

The pirates had been to the Tournament a couple years in a row. Each year, Tetra had scouted the arena inside and out as sneakily as she could, surveying any hole she could possibly use to her advantage. "I've been 'taking notes' as we watched the tournament for the past two years, and I think I've found a way into our target. You all know about the arena and how its rules are set up, but do you know what's behind the arena?"

Her eyes feel on Zuko, the first of the smaller pirates. With his large brown side-burns, he was easier to notice of the three smaller ones. Wearing a blue horizontally-striped shirt, and dark green pants, he wore a skull-embedded belt like the rest of the pirates.

He glanced around nervously, his red cap flapping as shook his head. "Uh... me?" Tetra nodded. "I don't know, Miss," he answered uneasily.

Tetra let out an irritated sigh and looked at the pirate standing next to Zuko. Carrying a large book wherever he went and brain full of knowledge, this one tended to fail Tetra the least of the bunch.

"Mako! What do you think?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm assuming you are referring to The Temple of Time, which is usually located behind the arena, and is usually a high-traffic tourist attraction unless the tournament is underway." Mako adjusted his large round glasses on his nose, one of the lenses being cracked.

Tetra smiled with satisfaction. "Very good." She was about to continue when Senza spoke up, scratching his thick, black beard.

"Does that mean we're going after the Royal Family's prized treasure?" he asked, folding his arms across the chest of his purple shirt.

Tetra nodded at him with a smile, despite the interruption. "Yes, we're going to steal The Ocarina of Time."

She noticed a wave of awed silence pass over the pirates, causing her smile to widen. The Ocarina of Time, according to legend, was the key to the legendary Golden Power known as the Triforce. Those who managed to get to and touch the Triforce could have their fondest wish granted.

Abruptly, the pirates, to Tetra's gross annoyance, then began chattering excitedly to themselves. The boys were talking about what they should wish for and how to 'split' the Golden Power if necessary. Finally, Tetra cleared her throat very loudly, and then stomped on the deck to catch their attention.

Tetra stopped pacing, and eyed them with complete seriousness. "This is going to be a tough raid, so, I don't want any fooling around. Understood?" Her voice was dark and stern.

The pirates silently nodded at her.

"Now, as you know," she continued on as if there had been no disruption. "We're going to need a swordsman for this raid. So-" Again, she was interrupted, but by Gonzo this time.

"I'll do it, Miss," the large pirate said rather proudly, while smiling, and brandishing a long, curved sword. "I can be yer swordsman!" Tetra just stared at him, and allowed an uncomfortable silence to settle. With a smirk, she snatched the sword from Gonzo's hands in the blink of an eye. She giggled a little at the shocked expression on his face.

Planting the sword onto the deck, and leaning on it, Tetra shook her head. "Nope. Sorry, Gonzo, you can't be it. I'm going to need someone else-" she started, but suddenly all the other pirates jumped towards her, shouting out that they could be the swordsman for the tournament. Tetra stumbled backwards and let Gonzo's sword drop.

"No!" Tetra bellowed, silencing them. "None of you can be in the tournament! Your fighting style and looks will just give you away!" She paused to breathe and regain her composure. "Look," she said, softening her voice. "We need someone else—none of us—to be the swordsman. And we'll need a good one to create an excellent distraction for us. Even if we had the best disguises in the whole world, I wouldn't risk putting you in the arena just because you can fight."

"But I'm good fighter!" Gonzo pouted, picking up his sword as if it were a broken vase.

"Yes, yes," Tetra said dismissively. "But I'm going need to need you for the raid, Gonzo."

Gonzo still didn't appeared to be satisfied. "All right," he said. "So, who's it gonna be then?"

Tetra crossed over to the door of the cabin and wiped her hand across the handle. "That's a good question, Gonzo." She looked up at them and a sly smile spread over her face. "We'll need someone who's easy to control... a sap." She raised her head, and put two fingers over her chin, her eyes never moving from the pirates.

"Someone who we could easily... manipulate."

-S-

It was noon at Outset Island; the sun was high in the clear sky. Sarah, an elderly lady, took in the fresh sea air as she watched the Great Sea from the balcony of her house. She liked the quietness of her island, which was much different from the mainland of Hyrule to the north. She turned around to gaze upon her home, of which she liked to muse about from time to time.

The people were kinder, smiled most of the time, and treated each other as if they were family. The atmosphere was so calm and tranquil that no one feared to sleep under the stars at night. The concepts of mass trade, castles, and other things of the mainland were very much foreign to them.

Although she never knew why, Outset was a pair of isles, with tall and flat hilltops above the sandy beaches. These pair of isles were connected by both a wood bridge at the bottom and a rope bridge connecting the two tops of the hills. On the eastern isle, there was a path which winded around the hill to the top, where if careful enough, she, or any of the other islanders, could walk across the rope bridge to the other hill on the western isle.

On that hill, there was a large forest which all of the islanders—except maybe old man Orca—kept their distance from. There were a few houses on Outset, more on the west isle than on the eastern one. They were very quaint, small homes, but Sarah knew that it did not bother the people; they were quite content with life as it was.

Sarah was the grandmother of two young children. She kept a house on the western isle. It was a fairly large one compared to the other homes, and faced east with its left side looking out to the Great Sea. The house was built on a slanted hillside that rose above sea level and over the beach. Thick wooden poles held up the balcony on the side facing the sea and supported the house's weight.

"Grandma!"

She turned her head towards the door on the balcony. It was open, and standing there was a seven-year old girl with blond hair, rolled into two very short pigtails. She wore a light-blue gown with a painted yellow and pink flower on its lower left side. She looked eagerly at her grandmother.

Sarah smiled. "My dear Aryll, what is it?"

"I can't find my big brother," Aryll said with a half frown on her face. "He isn't in the house."

"Why don't you try your lookout tower? He goes there often to sleep. Be sure to have him come to the house as soon as you find him."

"Okay! He's so lazy," Aryll remarked with a giggle. "I'll get my telescope, and find him."

"Good. I'll be waiting inside." She smiled softly.

With a swift turn, Aryll dashed back into the house. Slowly, Sarah walked towards the door and headed inside. By the time she got inside, she knew very well that Aryll would already have burst out the front door to begin her search for her elder brother.

-S-

Aryll stepped off the front porch, carrying her red telescope. Through her telescope, she gazed over to her lookout tower. _Maybe he'll hear me from here?_ she thought. "'hoy, big brother!" She waited, and there was no response.

'Aryll's Lookout' was a wooden tower was on the eastern isle of Outset. It was a tall building with a triangular rooftop, and a small platform at the top. There was a wooden ladder that led up to that platform. The tower was set near the ramp that led up to the hill just south of it.

Putting the telescope to her eye again, Aryll focused on the top of the tower. From where she stood, she could not see anyone up there; for they could easily be hidden by the guardrails.

_ I bet he's hiding..._ She ran over to the tower, and put her telescope away in a small pouch she had around her waist. Then, she climbed up the ladder rung by rung until she reached the top.

There, Aryll peered inside the tower. _I knew it! _Her brother—Link—was there, lying flat on his face, and fast asleep. He was wearing a blue shirt that had a white design of a lobster sewn into both the back and the front of the shirt. He had thick yellow hair that looked like a bundle of stretched cotton balls.

"Ah! Big brother! Wake up!" Aryll called as she stepped off the ladder onto the floor of the tower.

-S-

Link thought he heard someone call him. _Ugh... not now, _he thought. _Later... maybe tomorrow._ The voice continued to badger him, but he refused to react. After what seemed like a long time, he was able to recognize the voice.

"There you are, Link!"

He rolled over abruptly at the loud voice, and sat up. Immediately, the salty sea air wafted into his nose. Link looked over to see the cute face of his little sister; she was smiling at him.

"I've been looking for you all morning," Aryll said. You sure know how to hide, huh?"

Link got up, feeling very tired. He yawned and stretched out his arms. "Oh, hi, Aryll," he said. "What has you so excited? You're practically bouncing on your feet."

Aryll looked surprised. "Oh no. Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Mm... forgot what?" Link asked, rubbing his eye.

"It's your birthday, Link!" she said happily. Nothing clicked; it was his birthday, did it matter? "And... it's your _fourteenth_ birthday, isn't it?" Aryll sounded determined.

"Fourteenth birthday?" He scratched his head, and paused. "Wait a minute... isn't that-?"

Aryll giggled. "Yes! Today is your _special_ birthday!"

"Special birthday...!" His eyes popped open; now he was awake. "Wait! Then is Grandma looking for me?"

Aryll nodded. "Yup. You better go see her. She's waiting inside at home."

Nodding, and saying a good-bye to his sister, Link dashed over to the ladder. He climbed down as fast as he could. His eye caught Aryll waving to him as he went down. _Great!_ he thought to himself. _The day I sleep in is the day I don't want to miss!_ Link ran across the fields near the beaches, and over the wood bridge to the other isle.

_How did this day come already? How could I've forgotten about today? ... Wait a minute... didn't I stay up past dusk to see all the stars last night? I should get out of that habit._

Quickly, Link ran up to the front door of his house, and opened it. His home had two floors; and he went around the bottom one, looking for his Grandmother, Sarah. There was the kitchen in the far back, and in the corner, there were two beds and a bunk-bed for Aryll and Link.

_Not here... maybe she's above?_ Link ran his hand across the plain wooden wall, and went back toward the door. Nearby, there was a ladder that led up to the second floor.

He went over to the ladder, and his eye caught his Grandma waiting for him above. Her white hair was pulled into a ball and tied around by a ribbon. She was wearing a red robe with a dark-purple sash around her waist. "There you are, Link!" she called. "Come on up, dear."

Link climbed up to the upper floor. As he walked over to Grandma, he noticed that she had her arms outstretched, holding a bundle of green clothes. He looked at the shirt, tunic, belt, cap, boots and pants; and half-smiled. _I had a feeling I'd get these, why can't I have a sword instead?_

"Here you are, I made them this morning for you," Sarah said, handing him the clothes. Link frowned, and she must have caught his expression. "Why the long face? Today is a day to celebrate! Now, Link, you must realize that this is part of the tradition. You're about the same age as the Hero of legends, so it would be appropriate if you wore this green outfit. These clothes mark your coming of age, my child."

"But Grandma," Link complained. "These clothes... they look too hot to wear in this weather." He felt the fabric of the clothing, noting its thickness. He knew they had been coming, but he hadn't expected them to be so thick. Grandma, being the kind person she was, just smiled at him.

"Oh, please wear them," she said. "You only have to wear them for a day, after that, you won't ever have to touch them again. Is that all right? Come on, Link, put them on. I want to see how you look in them."

"All right, Grandma." Link sighed before going down the ladder to the lower floor in order to change. After taking off his old clothes, he put on the new ones. When he finished, he looked himself over.

The outfit was a green tunic which had a light-green long-sleeved shirt. Around his waist was secured a brown leather belt which had a yellow spiral-shaped buckle. Covering Link's legs were a pair of long white pants and little brown boots on his feet. He had a little trouble fitting the long, green cap over his messy hair, but after a few tugs, it slipped on quite snugly. _Darn it, they're a little too warm already!_

Link then ascended the ladder to show Grandma how he looked in them. When he reached the floor, she gasped and clasped her hands together.

"Awww!" Grandma exclaimed. "Why look at yourself, Link! You are the striking appearance of the Hero himself. Those clothes fit so well." With a pleasant smile, she added, "I'm sure you'll get used to them, when a cold day comes, you'll be glad you have them."

"Well, all right," he said, feeling a bit bad for having such irritated thoughts toward his Grandmother. He waited a moment, expecting her to say more, but she did not. _I should talk to her about our promise... well, here goes._ He took in a deep breath.

"Grandma? It is my birthday... my fourteenth birthday, and I remember talking to you about this a few months ago."

Sarah's smile faded. _I knew it, she's afraid._ Link wanted to leave Outset and go to the mainland, Hyrule on his own for the Annual Swordsman Tournament. He had been working hard ever since he was very young for the event, training with Orca. Sarah, at the time, told him he could not go because it was too dangerous and he was too young. However, she promised him that if he kept up on his swordsmanship training until he became of age then he could go to the mainland.

"I see..." She lowered her head, and Link was biting his lip. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about that," she said before looked back up at his face. "My boy, Aryll and I still need you, but... I did give you my word."

"Grandma..." Link put on his best, comforting smile, and the clothes didn't seem to feel so warm now. "Don't be sad, I'm not going to leave you and Aryll for long. I will come back! It's just that... this has been my dream and I want to fulfill it."

She nodded and strode over to the wall where she had hung a wreath around a shield. It looked old and rusty, but it had shape of a bird and of the Triforce imprinted upon its face. Underneath the shield were two wooden swords crossed diagonally. Grandma looked at the shield for a few moments as if she was longing for something. Then, she walked over and took it off the wall. She turned towards him. Link looked at her and then the shield; he looked back at her and saw a smile on her face.

"If you are really going to leave, Link, then take this shield with you," she said. "I have a feeling that you will need it."

He smiled, and took the shield from her. "Grandma, I won't forget you, or Aryll."

"I know that, Link." She smiled. "I know you won't."

-S-

About a half an hour later, everyone on Outset Island had gathered together to wish Link good-bye and good luck. Link had already buckled the shield to his back using a leather strap that went around his chest, and he was standing near the shore.

Among the crowd of people, there was Orca. He was the only person left on Outset who was a master at fighting. He was an old man with a frail body, but Link knew better than anyone else on the island that he was hardly defenseless.

Next to him was his brother, Sturgeon. About as old, he was Orca's opposite. More than anything, he loved spending his time with books and studying them. He was most intelligent man on the island. He was short and had a large head.

Also among the group was Aryll. She had a sad expression on her face. It stung Link to leave his dear sister behind, but they both knew that it was too dangerous for her to come with him.

Some of the islanders had prepared a blue wooden boat for Link which he would use to travel to the mainland. This boat was the best one that they could provide for him, and they hoped that it would get him safely across the sea.

They all knew the small boat could not carry Link all the way to manlaind, but they knew of a small fishing island just northeast between the trading island of Windfall and Outset. Link had been saving as many ruppees as possible so that he could buy his way onto a larger ship that would take him to the mainland. _I only have twenty,_ he thought. _I hope that's enough to get me there and back home._

Then, Link heard someone approach him, he turned around and saw Orca putting his spear down. He smiled at his master, and then noticed that he held a wrapped bundle of cloth. Curious and excited, the young islander spoke up. "What is that, master?"

"Link," Orca said in a scratchy voice. "I feel that it is time to give you this. You've come of age, and are worthy to have this; my own sword."

_I knew _it! Link thought happily. Orca handed the bundle to him. Unable to contain his excitement, Link unwrapped the bundle. Before his eyes laid the very sword that he had been training with all his life. With it, was its brown leather scabbard.

"Thank you so much for this gift, master!" he said, bowing. He held the small sword in his left hand, admiring the craftsmanship of it for a moment, and then sheathed it into its scabbard. While attaching the sword to his back—via the leather strap that held his shield—Orca spoke to him again.

"You are welcome. You have earned the right to wield that weapon," he said. "Though, remember," he added with a warning tone of voice. "Never use that sword for anything dishonest or cruel. The sword is a weapon of righteousness, never to be used for wicked deeds."

"I will not disappoint you, Orca," Link said, bowing again. "I'm going to come back a champion."

Sturgeon's voice came from Link's right. "A tournament!" he cried, tapping his staff with irritation on the sandy shore. "Why... what happened to your studies? You were doing so well, my boy."

"Let him be," Orca said. "He is a man now and he can choose his own path. Besides, I have not found little use for the mind in all my years."

Sturgeon glared at his brother. "That's because you spend your time ramming your hands into walls! Your life is nothing but rubbish!"

Link put his hands between the two before the argument could become heated. "Hey, stop it!" he said. _I'm always the one breaking it up._ "Please don't fight, not today, at least for my sake." He looked at Sturgeon. "Besides, it's not like I'm wasting my studies. I'm sure the things you taught me will help me out when I'm in Hyrule." While the two brothers cast a curious glance at each other, Link had little hope that it meant anything.

Then, Grandma came running down from the house. "Wait! Link!" The people moved aside for her. She was carrying two glass bottles with her, each tightly closed with a cork in each. She looked tired, but she was smiling. "Take these with you. One is filled with fresh water and the other is filled with two helpings of my soup. I'd thought to give you them since you might get hungry on the sea."

"Thanks, Grandma," he said.

Then, the wind picked up and began blowing north, with the tide heading the same direction. Link turned towards all the people of Outset Island, and waved. "It looks like it's time for me to go, everyone," he said, trying to hide the tears on his cheeks. "I promise to come back." He saw everyone waving at him, and felt a sting of homesickness notwithstanding the fact that he had not left yet. Nodding, he got into the boat, and just as he was beginning to tie the white sail to the mast, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Wait! Big brother!" It was Aryll. Link turned around to see her running up to the boat. Stopping, she panted a little. "I-I," she stammered for a moment. "I want to give you this." She handed him her telescope, which was red with seagulls painted on it. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Aryll, I can't take this. It's your-"

"It's my favorite treasure," she finished for him. "Since it's your birthday, I want you to have it. Just because you're my special brother." She beamed at him. "Aren't you lucky?"

"Aryll..." he said softly. "I'll... I'll take good care of it. I promise I won't break it." Aryll nodded and Link continued, "you're the big kid in the family now. And while I'm gone, I want you take care of Grandma, okay?"

She nodded again and moved over to Link to hug him. "I'll miss you, Link," she said. "I'm not gonna cry, though."

Link smiled at her. "I know you won't." He released her and put the telescope in his sack. Link finished tying up the sail and looked at Aryll, then to everyone else. "I'm off!" he said cheerfully, still trying to suppress his tears. "Wish me luck!"

The wind picked up and the sail pushed the boat out into the sea. With his hand on the rudder, Link waved to his friends and family on Outset. He could see Grandma in the distance and he waved high to her. He looked at Aryll and he could clearly see that she was crying.


	3. Chapter 2: Dangers of the Sea

Chapter 2: Dangers of the Sea

"'Hoy, Miss Tetra! Where are we going again?"

Tetra turned around to look at Zuko, who was in the crow's nest. _He's supposed to be keeping watch, Tetra thought, irritated._ "How many times do I have to tell you? We're going to Windfall Island to find a swordsman to recruit. Got it? Now, get back to watching the seas!" she growled.

"A-aye, aye, Miss!"

Tetra, leaning against the railing, wondered how he could have forgotten that they were heading to Windfall, when she told him that earlier that day. Groaning, she checked to see if the other pirates were doing their jobs properly.

Mako was scanning the seas on the lower deck. Senza was watching the ropes to the sails and the front of the boat. Nudge was assuredly guarding Tetra's cabin per her orders, Gonzo was steering the ship, and she was sure that Niko was in the hold tending to the laundry. While satisfied, Tetra kept her eye on about everything else and made sure that the pirates would continue to do their tasks.

The wind was a little strong that day; a good breeze always pleased Tetra. Today was especially comfortable because it wasn't chilly. The sea itself seemed rather relaxed, and the boat creaked as it floated upon the waves, rocking back and forth gently.

Then her eye caught something; Niko was on deck and muttering agitatedly to Mako. Slowly, and very subtly, Tetra walked backwards and leaned against the mast to try to hear what he was saying.

"... don't ya hate how she pushes us around like that?" Niko said. "She's barely younger than me! Yet I do all yer disgusting underwear."

"That's just your place," Mako said. "You're the swabbie. You know your duties."

"I don't care! Haven't we had enough from her? We don't need a child like her to-"

Tetra scowled, he had just struck a sensitive nerve.

"Niko..." She said, just soft enough to hide her anger. She peered around the mast to see a startled swabbie. Throwing him a dagger-filled glare, she walked around the mast and advanced on him. She heard him swallow. Mako had also turned around, but said nothing.

"Niko," she repeated. "How many times have I told you not to question my authority?" The frightened swabbie backed up against the rails, but Tetra kept advancing on him until she was nearly in his face. "May I remind you... who was the one who fixed all the flaws in the original plan to raid Longboat isle? And what about Seahorn Village? Do you remember who saw the problems with that raid? Oh, yes, and who made the perfect escape for us from the city watch of Lost Peak isle? Hmmm...? It wasn't you boys."

She paused, and waited for Niko's response. The swabbie looked terrified, and said nothing. Tetra decided to continue. "And, of course, I could name many, many other raids that we did, which were not organized by Gonzo or the others. And each one of them worked perfectly. And do you remember who was the one who did all that organizing?"

There was silence for a moment, save the wind and the boat. Tetra knew that Niko could clearly see the answer, so she said nothing more to him except, "You have ten seconds to get back down into the ship's hold and finish your job." When he didn't move, Tetra stepped back and started counting down.

"I... I... a-a-aye, aye, Miss!" Saluting her, Niko stumbled across the deck to the ship's door. She was still counting down as she watched him open the door frantically, and jump inside. When the door closed, she stopped.

Her narrowed gaze drifted to Mako. "You're weren't thinking of mutiny with Niko, were you?"

Mako was completely calm. "Of course not, Miss. You know me, I wouldn't disrespect you. This was just Niko's usual complaining."

"Well... just to make sure, have Nudge give him a beating when he gets in there."

"Aye, aye." Mako walked off to the ship's door and entered. Shortly after, Tetra could hear some loud whacking noises from within; she sighed with relief.

Turning around, she went back to the other side of the ship and leaned against the rails. She started thinking about the next part of the plan for the Ocarina of Time deeply. She knew there were going to be a lot of guards—many, many more guards than at Lost Peak, so escape from the Temple would be difficult. They would need a very good distraction. Something sensational would be needed, so the average joe swordsman wouldn't be enough.

"I hope we can find a swordsman," Gonzo mused out loud. He was probably trying to catch Tetra's attention. He got what he wanted as Tetra's blue eyes wandered over to him. He swallowed a little. "Though I always thought Windfall was more peaceful than that."

"It is," she said sharply, startling her first mate, "These swordsmen always go to Windfall as a place to pick up supplies and brag to each other about their skills until the registration opens." Tetra rolled her eyes, but kept sharp watch like a hawk on the crew. "Then the real losers are revealed when the tournament begins." A slight smirk crawled onto her face.

"But... didn't it already open, Miss?" Gonzo asked, keeping his own eyes on the sea ahead. He seemed a bit nervous, and Tetra assumed he saw the scuffle between her and Niko, making him wary of her temper.

"Yes." A sly smile grew across her face. "But I'm sure there will be latecomers, and one of those late boys will be _our_ late boy." Her smile curved into a grin, and she thought she noticed Gonzo swallow. That pleased her.

The little fourteen-year old captain's authority also came from the fact that she was very thoughtful with strategy, more than any of them. While Mako was always strengthening his intellect, Gonzo had always been the tactical leader, until they met Tetra. She was harsh, but often they admired her, though, today appeared to have some misgivings.

On the horizon, Tetra could see the dark shape of Windfall Island in the distance. It was several miles east of the mainland, and remained the only island that she and her pirates had not raided. And they never would because Windfall set itself as an excellent safe haven for being unnoticed while planning their attacks. Tetra had a nice agreement with the people of Windfall. They kept their mouths shut while the pirates gave away bit of their stolen cash.

Windfall was one of the larger of the small, out-lying islands around the mainland, however, it was still very small in comparison to the major cities of the mainland. But, Windfall's popularity among sailors, and travelers kept the island busy. It had plenty of clean inns and offered generous hospitality. It was also the main trading port between the outer islands and Hyrule. Almost every trade ship stopped there before heading to Hyrule.

"'Hoy, Miss!" Zuko called out from the crow's nest.

"Yes, I know Windfall's ahead of us!" Tetra shouted back. "Now, keep your eyes open for any of the Royal Family's military ships!"

"That's not what I be talking about, Miss! Look to the northeast! There be a whirlpool ahead of us!"

Tetra let out a slight groan and pulled out her own telescope. She pointed it the indicated direction, and looked into it. Zuko was correct; sure enough, there was a spinning vortex ahead in the water.

This didn't alarm Tetra. In fact, it annoyed her that Zuko was warning her about it. _It's so small, there's no way it could hurt us, even if we were going directly into it._ She let out an agitated sigh. _At least, he's doing his job, _she thought, calming herself.

"I see it!" she said. "But it isn't anything to worry about. I'm sure Gonzo can easily avoid that. We've seen bigger ones, anyone who gets trapped in that isn't very bright."

She put her telescope away into her pouch and stretched out her arms. There's a sudden nagging feeling that perhaps she had just jinxed someone, but Tetra immediately pushed the feeling aside. _It's only me. This day's has its annoying bumps from the start. No one could get caught in something that small._

"But... uh... what if it gets bigger, Miss Tetra?" Zuko was apparently still feel uneasy about the whirlpool. She rolled her eyes, and turned around to look at him with a false smile on her face. "I mean," he continued. "It could get large enough to engulf the ship!"

The pirate captain already knew the dangers of whirlpools, vortexes, maelstroms, and the like. She thought Zuko was just being overly nervous. "Zuko, calm down," she said using a girlish little smile to make him silent. "If it does get any bigger, we'll have plenty of time to turn and avoid it."

He looked like he was about to protest, so Tetra pushed it further, masking her annoyance. "It's nothing to worry about," she said in a soothing voice. "Just keep watch for any enemy ships, mmkay?" She knew she had won when she saw Zuko nod sheepishly and say nothing else. _Finally, I got him!_ She smirked to herself.

An hour passed as they continued their journey to Windfall; its shape was beginning to become more clear as they got closer. Tetra began to muse quietly, thinking about her plan. She wondered if he was a good time to call the boys in for a briefing to instruct them further on the plan. That's when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Tetra was barely paying attention, but another tap on the shoulder drew her from her musings. She looked up to see Senza over her. She was rather surprised as he was normally more patient than that. "What is it?" she asked, concerned. If something was bothering Senza then it was something to be worried about.

"I know ya already talk'd to Zuko about it, but it be the whirlpool." He pointed out towards it. "Someone's trapped in it!"

Tetra looked. Just like Senza said, she could see a small boat in the distance, being pulled into the vortex—it looked a little bigger now than when she lasted looked at it.

"_Help!_" a voice cried out from the boat. "_Someone help!_" Her stomach lurched, and she wanted to help, but it would waste too much time; they needed to get to Windfall while the wind was still strong upon their sails. She hoped there was another ship passing by that could help the person.

"There's nothing... we can do," Tetra said slowly, wishing she hadn't. Senza's jaw dropped in response. "I... don't like it, but we have to get to Windfall soon. Really...! We don't have much time left." He looked as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Tetra frowned. _Why did I say that? We can't leave someone helpless in a vortex like that!_

"'Hoy!" Zuko shouted from above. "The whirlpool's gettin' bigger! Look at them waves, mateys! That poor kid in there is goin' need some help, he is!"

The word struck a nerve in Tetra. She spun around and called out to Zuko, "did you say that was a kid!?" Zuko looked down at her and nodded. Turning back around, she pulled out her own telescope and looked out to sea.

With her telescope, Tetra could discern more of what the waves were trying to consume. A small blue boat was trapped in the whirlpool. _Yet Zuko's not right... that thing's no whirlpool, it's maelstrom now!_ As she zoomed in on the boat, she saw a boy in green clothing, struggling to hold his little boat together.

"Miss Tetra?" Gonzo called out to her from the helm. "Do you want me to go around?"

Tetra removed the telescope from her eye and looked down, and then she turned to look at Gonzo. "No!" she shouted at him. "I want you to move as close as possible to the whirlpool and circle it!"

"But... Miss...!" Gonzo protested.

She glared at him. "Just do it! And make sure you don't go in it." She didn't have time for Gonzo's hesitations, _nor does that kid!_

'Aye-aye!" he said before turning the helm swiftly to move the ship closer to the maelstrom.

"Senza, get Nudge out here quickly!" Tetra said. "Then gather up some rope and a hook together and get out the crane!"

He obeyed her silently, dashing into the ship's cabin. A few seconds later, the two able-bodied pirates came out, Nudge carrying a bundle of rope, while Senza had the hook. Dropping their items, the two men opened a couple of doors on the deck and brought out a large wood crane, which was normally used to dig up treasure out of the sea. Senza and Nudge attached a hook to the rope and reeled it in.

"Bring it over to the edge and extend it a bit upwards," Tetra said.

They followed her orders, and Tetra figured that some of the pirates were wondering why they were saving someone. As soon as they got closer to the boat, she knew they would know why.

The boy's face was now very clear, without the need of a telescope. It was still filled with fear, and he was frantically trying to keep his boat stable. Tetra, once was nearly swallowed by the sea in a small boat, uncannily like the scene before them.

"Extend the crane over the maelstrom," she said. "Lower it so he can reach the hook." At that point, the ship had started to circle the vortex of water close to it. The waves lashed out dangerously at the hull in vain attempts to drag the ship into the watery depths.

Tetra cupped her hands and yelled, "_hey kid!_" He didn't seem to notice, so she tried again. "_Hey, kid!_" This time, he noticed and began to wave frantically at them while trying to maintain the boat. Tetra knew his worst fears started to become a reality as a loud snap sounded. The mast for his boat had broken away in the wind and slammed into the pirate ship's hull. He and his boat were now at the mercy of spiraling waters.

Tetra was getting very worried, one of three things could happen if the boy got pulled into the center; he could be dragged down to the bottom and drowned, or the force the center would shoot him out, slamming him into the hull of her ship, or send him out to sea. Either way, he would die.

She called out to him again, "_grab the hook!_" The boy looked at her, shocked and hesitant, but a fierce wave shook his boat, obviously changing his mind for him. He tried to move his small boat towards the pirate ship while reaching out for the hook.

Tetra turned to Senza and Nudge. "Extend it more!" she ordered. They obeyed without question.

It soon was within the boy's grasp; at least, it would be once he swung around to the pirate ship's side. Tetra felt the nervous tension going up and down her body as the boy's boat came around towards the pirate ship. It was amazing to her how the boy managed to keep his vessel from overturning, despite the violent waves rushing against him and drenching him in water. He stood up, getting ready to grab the hook as he came around.

He reached out as far as he could, but the hook seemed to taunt him as it swung away from his hands in the stormy wind. With one quick movement, his hands reached out to grab the hook, when it smashed into his face, knocking him back into his boat. Tetra winced. _I'm surprised he didn't fall unconscious from that!_ He was getting closer to the center and as far as Tetra could tell, he had one last chance before the boat shattered; it looked extremely battered and too worn to last much longer.

Tetra called to extend the crane a little more. _He's going to make it,_ she thought anxiously, trying to comfort herself. _He's not going to die._ The winds were howling and blasted with a powerful force, threatening to topple the small boat over, while the violet waters toyed with the idea of snapping the boat in half.

Tetra _hated_ feeling so helpless! If she could, she would command the seas to be calm so the boy could be brought on board safely.

The boy came around again, and the tension mounted. His head was bleeding, and Tetra was surprised at how well he was keeping his balance on the boat. The seas were to murder the boy as they became more violent than ever. The boat came around to the hook and this time, he jumped into the air, grasping for the hook. With a little difficulty from his injury, the boy leaped up and grasped the hook.

Cheers sounded off from Tetra and her crew when suddenly, they heard a loud shattering noise. Ahead in the maelstrom, the small blue boat had hit a rough wave, immediately breaking it in half. The back half slammed into the hull of the pirate ship, and the front spun around on the current and was pulled under the waves. The tense air eased as Nudge and Senza began reeling in the crane with the boy in tow.

Tetra called out to Gonzo to move away from the whirlpool, and soon the winds became silent, save for the calm breeze. The crane made a twisting sound as it reeled in the dripping wet boy. He was coughing and sputtering, and yet, it was music to Tetra's ears to hear these sounds of life.

Everyone, except Senza and Nudge, stopped what they were doing at once to see the kid being pulled on-board. He was wearing the strangest clothing Tetra had ever seen; a green cap, and a green tunic. To her surprise, she saw that a medium-sized sack, attached to the boy's belt had made it in one piece with him.

"'Hoy, there, kid," she said. "Are you okay?"

He did not respond, and just held onto the crane. He shivered heavily and merely stared at her, his green eyes began to dim, and then they shut abruptly. Losing his grip on the crane, the boy fell to the deck unconscious.

Tetra gasped, and looked around at her pirates. "Gonzo! Get back to the helm and turn us toward Windfall. Senza, Nudge, put the crane back and dry this boy off and get him into my bed."

"Eh?" Nudge blinked, a bit surprised. "Your bed, Miss Tetra? Ahem! I'm sure one of ours would-"

"Just do it," Tetra said. "If we're not careful, this kid will catch a nasty cold, not to mention the wound on his head..."

"Aye-aye, Miss!" Nudge and Senza took the boy to the ship's door, which led to the pirates' personal cabins, and then beyond was Tetra's own. She leaned on the railing, thinking about the incident. _What if we hadn't saved him in time? What if-?_

"Miss Tetra?"

Tetra turned her head around slowly to see Gonzo with a concerned expression on his face. "Is everythin' alright?" he asked. From the tone of his voice, Tetra could tell that he was also concerned about the boy.

"Oh... I'm just worried about the time we lost," she lied. Tetra knew it was an unconvincing lie from the look on Gonzo's face. He didn't respond immediately. _What am I thinking? His _short_ life would have ended if we hadn't acted. All for a stupid ocarina..._

Guilt wrapped its crushing chains around her heart.

"That there kid must be pretty strong," Gonzo said, interrupting her thoughts. "He look'd like sharkbait ta me, but the way he handled that boat was darn impressive." Although he spoke as if he were musing to himself, Tetra knew he was trying to cheer her up. "I don't think I could've handled a boat like that. I'll bet he'll be alright."

She said nothing for awhile, the young captain was processing Gonzo's words. _He's right, that kid was strong._

"If he dies... I'm responsible," she said, still feeling guilty.

"I wouldn't know about that, Miss. When a good pirate finds a piece of Fool's Gold. He doesn't go and throw it away in the Great Sea. He learns from it, learns the difference between it and the real thing, and he never regrets it."

Tetra smiled, but remained silent. _That's Gonzo for you. _Despite his occasional blunders, he showed a rare bit of wisdom.

"There's a doctor, I hear, in Windfall," Gonzo continued. "His potions make excellent 'vittes, so I've heard the rumors."

"... I know," Tetra mumbled. "It'll take up our time, though, but... we can't just leave him like this."

Gonzo said, "maybe Mako has something for the poor kid? It wouldn't hurt to check."

She nodded and then looked over at the door to the main cabin. She paused, and then finally went over to the door and opened it.

Going inside, Tetra passed the stairs to the hold and went through the curtains of her cabin. There, she saw Nudge and Senza surrounding the boy, who was resting in her bed. Mako had entered without Tetra's permission, but at this point, she could care less. She walked over to the left side of the bed and watched the boy. His cap had been removed and placed on the nightstand.

Tetra reached out and touched his skin, it was clammy and cool, and his limp body and face seemed almost devoid of life.

Even Niko was there. Tetra figured he had come on deck to see the commotion on-board. He looked worried, yet excited. The swabbie had probably never seen such a violent storm in the waters before, let alone see someone survive it.

"How is he?" she asked after a moment, still looking at the boy. Mako looked up at her, his face was grim and she feared the worst. She noticed that the pirates had placed his belongings—a sack, a sword, and a shield—on her desk.

"He's not dead, Miss Tetra," Mako said, adjusting his glasses. "But, he's extremely weak. If we don't get him something to heal him with, he might not make it. That crane hitting him in the head didn't make it any better."

Tetra sat down on a stool next to the bed, she looked at the boy and she saw herself in the bed—at the point of death that she had barely escaped in her past—she was overwhelmed. He could not die. If he did, Tetra could not forgive herself. In order to soothe herself, she recalled Gonzo's words. "Quickly," she said in a gentle, yet firm voice. "Let's get to Windfall Island and find that doctor."

§

Link was swimming. It was a vast sea, and there was nothing for miles and miles around except the sea, and he was in the middle of it. Link thought it might be daytime; there were blue skies, but for some odd reason there was no sun. The water felt warm and Link did not feel tired. He did not know why or where he was swimming, but he knew he just had to get somewhere. Suddenly he stopped, he heard a familiar voice.

"Big brother!" He turned around and around, and then he saw it. In the middle of the sea, there was a small piece of land. There he saw his sister, Aryll, who was beaming at him and standing on the little island, "Come on, big brother!" She said, giggling and waving at him. His heart gave a bound of hope.

Link laughed and swam towards Aryll at full-strength. He had to get to her; that was all he knew. He already missed her so much. Closer and closer he got to the land. As he swam, Aryll kept cheering him on. She was bouncing like her usual self, and so Link pushed harder and he finally reached the land.

He stretched out his arm, and his hand touched the grass, but as soon as he did, he knew something had gone wrong.

Immediately, the water and the skies went dark. A large wave came up under him and swept him away from land; he immediately tried to swim back, but then after wave came up and shoved him away from Ayrll. Wave after wave of water kept coming and pushing him down into the watery depths. The sea flushed into his lungs, he found it difficult to breathe. Aryll was still cheering him on, but now he felt like she was taunting him.

Suddenly, Link felt himself flung back towards Aryll, his hand touched the soft grass again and he sighed in relief. He was going to pull himself up onto the land, when suddenly; the tide increased and pulled him back into the water.

Aryll seemed not to notice this, she kept calling after him and smiling and giggling. She kept cheering him on towards home as if it was something he could accomplish without and difficulty. Suddenly, Link began to spin; he was trapped in a whirlpool like before. He could not get out, no matter how hard he tried and then he was swallowed beneath the seas.

Opening his eyes, the salt of the water stung his pupils. The waves from above were still pushing down on him; there was no way he could not get back up. Then, he saw something in the distance, someone with golden hair. At first, he thought it was Aryll, but a closer examination proved him wrong. It was a girl he had never met before.

He could see her shining blue eyes; her golden hair was curled upwards into a spiral on top of her hair. Her skin was well-tanned and she wore a cute red scarf around her neck. She was really attractive and curiosity rose up in Link, he began to swim towards her. For some strange reason, she was laughing.

She winked at him, and then she began to change, large sideburns began to grow on her face, her eyes shrunk, her skin became darker. She began to become clouded so Link could not make out the features and as she changed, her laugh transformed and suddenly Link realized that he was not looking at a girl anymore.

It was a man. A dark, wicked-looking man, whose laughter sent strong, shivers through Link's spine. Fear gripped his body and Link franticly tried to swim up, but the water kept pushing him down. The laughter, the water, the man, his eyes were glowing wickedly. The man reached out malevolently with thick brutal-looking hands, attempting to grab Link. He opened his mouth to scream but water rushed in and the foulest taste entered in his mouth as everything went dark, the laughter still echoing in his pointed ears.


	4. Chapter 3: Not Quite Manly Enough

Chapter 3: Not Quite Manly Enough

Link sat up abruptly and coughed violently. Red smoke ejected out of his mouth, dissipating into the air. He grasped his throat and breathed, the horrible taste still lingered in his mouth. Despite this he was relieved to find that he was not drowning; in fact, he was in a soft bed with white sheets and a blanket. The dream faded away like rushing water and Link began to wonder where he was. Although his eyes were already opened, they had just started taking in his surroundings, so blurry at first, that he could not make anything out except large blob-like shapes of mixed colors.

"Well, well..." A breath that smelled like something foul wafted into Link's nose, "It looks like my concoction worked fairly well." The voice sounded like it was trying to suppress some urge of excitement. Then Link's sight started to become clear as a short time passed and as it did, he squawked at what his eyes displayed.

In front of him was a thin, pale old man with a pointed chin and nose. He was staring directly into Link's eyes and had an unsettling corpse-like visage.

"Ah! Look!" The old man said with a raspy high voice, "he is already awake!" He moved his head back—for which, Link was extremely grateful—allowing Link some room to breathe. The old man put a bottle, which was half-filled with some red liquid that he had obviously been fed, down on the nightstand next to the bed, "I will leave the rest in case he needs it again."

Now Link had a better view of the room. The floor, walls and ceiling were made of brown wood panels set tightly together. There were three wooden supports across the ceiling, dangling from the middle one were drawn green curtains, which would allow the person in the room to have some privacy as they slept. On the far end of the room, he could see a dresser with a mirror and many drawers and not to mention many other strange objects that he could not make out.

Then Link jumped again as he saw two large, dangerous-looking sailors on either side of the old man. One had a thick black beard and wore a purple shirt, while the other wore a dirty-green shirt and an orange scarf tied around the top of his head.

"Very good," a young female voice came from Link's left side; he looked over and saw a girl sitting in a stool. She had golden hair, which was tied up in a curl over her head, and she had shining, piercing blue eyes. She spoke to the old man, "Senza and Nudge will show you out, Zunari. Make sure you don't tell anyone about us." She had not noticed Link yet and she put her hand to adjust the red scarf that was tied around her neck; Link saw that she had an attractive tan complexion.

The two large men made a motion to grab the old man, Zunari by the arms, he looked at them frightfully, "W-wait!" he called, looking a bit tense, "I... I am to be paid for my services, I hope?" he swallowed, putting his hands out in an almost begging gesture.

The girl was about to say something, but she stopped because she caught Link's eye. A mischievous grin slowly spread over her face, "Of course you will." The two large men blinked and looked at her strangely. The girl stretched out her arms, her grin never faltering as she spoke to the two large sailors, "Senza, Nudge, take the man and make sure to..." she winked at them as she said it, "_pay_ him well."

The two large sailors grinned as if they understood her and they lead the old man out of the bedroom through a doorway with a curtain hung on it. Beyond, Link could see there was another room on the outside that had a door at the end, across from the bed. The two men opened the door and guided the old man out. As soon as he was out, they closed the door behind them.

Although he had been awoken abruptly, Link was feeling very weak and he did not take in most of what had been going on around him. His head was swerving and he was not exactly sure what was going on or what he had been fed. He eyed the red liquid in the bottle curiously. It tasted horrible, yet it had revived him a little bit.

"Hey there." He heard a somewhat charismatic female voice beside him. Link looked to his left to see that the girl had not exited the room. She was no longer stretching, but eying him with interest. As he turned his head towards her, she smiled at him and Link's face suddenly went warm. She was very cute and looked to be about his age.

"Hey," She repeated, noticing that he was eying her with awe she leaned on her left leg with blue eyes penetrating through him. Link's face felt warmer and he found the way she looked at him rather captivating. "You okay there, kid?" she asked him with a gentle tone, "You took quite a beating in the waters there." She winked and Link felt his face grow warmer, "you must be pretty tough to live through all that, eh matey?"

"Eh? Waters?" He said blankly, "What waters?" he scratched his head. In truth Link remembered the whirlpool, but his attention had been enticed by how pretty this young girl was.

"I guess you don't remember." She said to him while her eyes slid to the left and then back to him, "You were in a whirlpool and we pulled you out." she shrugged, "I'm sorry to say that your entire boat was destroyed, you've been out cold for hours, kid."

A sudden wave of fear and realization overcame Link, shaking himself from his trance. He slapped his hand onto his face, "My boat! Oh no... Orca's going to kill me." He moaned there was nothing he could do though. Then he heard the girl next to him chuckle.

"Well..." She said, "I wouldn't worry too much about your boat, it was split in two." He stared at her disbelievingly, "so, there's not much you can do about it." She added with a shrug, "but, we did retrieve all your stuff, they're sitting in here on my desk, and your hat is on the nightstand right here with the healing potion the doctor gave you."

The girl then pointed with her index finger forward towards a desk that was on the right side of the bed. It was opposite of the nightstand, which was on Link's left side where the girl was sitting. Upon the desk he could see his sword, shield, and his pouch among other things that lay on the desk.

He looked longingly at it, "Could you," He began to ask her, but he was having a hard time getting the words out, "Could you give me my pouch?" He finally said after a long pause, sounding rather feeble.

The girl made a slight giggle before standing up and going over to the desk—Link noticed that it was about her size—picking out his brown, leather pouch, she walked back to the stool and handed it to him. He took it so quickly that it startled her, but Link took no notice as he searched through it franticly. Finally, he pulled out a small red and gold telescope that bore small drawings of seagulls on them, Link extended the telescope and examined it carefully. _It looks okay_, he thought, making a sigh of relief.

"You were worried about that?" The girl asked curiously, "You should be glad that you are alive." She added, raising a brow at him and putting two fingers under her lower-lip as she sat down on the stool again and watched him, her eyes twinkling at him.

Link shook his head and smiled sheepishly, "No, no..." he laughed, "You don't understand," he showed her the telescope, "It's my sister's favorite toy and I promised to take care of it." Seeing a look of confusion on her face, he explained, "She gave it to me for my birthday today."

The girl smirked, "I see... " She stretched out and leaned back, cradling her head in her arms, "So it's your birthday today, eh?" She asked interestedly, "well then," she added with a cute wink, "Happy birthday to you."

_Is my face on fire?_ Link thought as he flushed red and responded quietly, "Th-thank you." Not only was she cute, but she was attractive. In some ways, he wondered if the girl was just playing with him and his mind. Regardless, she was being nice to him.

"You're welcome," she replied politely. She then stood up from the stool and eyed him again. "Anyways," She started over towards the doorway, "when you're feeling better, feel free to come outside and get some fresh air."

"Um..." Link paused, making her stop and turn to face him, _how do I say this without sounding stupid?_ He thought before clearing his throat, "Thanks for saving me, but..." he scratched his chin uncertainly and then asked, "Who are you?"

The girl smiled warmly at him, "You can call me Tetra." She turned around after a moment and headed to the door that led outside. Suddenly, she stopped and turned back to look at him, "Heh. I forgot to mention, but you're in my bed."

Link blinked and suddenly jumped out of the bed and smiled meekly and laughing nervously, Tetra gave him a puzzled look as he smoothed the bed sheets out, "Your bed?" He chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly, "s-sorry about that."

Tetra blinked twice and asked, "Are you feeling better already?" Her eyes had a suspicious glint in them. "I would have thought a whirlpool like the one you were in would have knocked the wind outta a kid like you." She leaned her head to one side and put her hand to the wall, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course!" He lied, "It's not a problem, I can handle stuff like that." Link said, trying to look tough. Tetra eyed him warily for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders; she turned around and strode over to the door that led outside past the curtains.

Immediately as soon as Tetra had left, Link fell to the floor; he barely caught himself from hitting the hard wood and banging his head. He was devastated from the near-death experience he had, _but why did I lie to her? Why did I do that?_ He thought to himself with confusion. Struggling to pull himself onto Tetra's bed, Link took in deep breaths. Had he tried to impress her? He wasn't sure; his weariness hindered his ability to think properly.

As Link slumped there on the edge of the bed, his eye caught the red liquid of the potion which the old man had given him; sitting there on the nightstand with his cap. It had revived him from his state of unconsciousness, despite its horrid taste. The bottle was half empty; if he drank the rest he would recover the remainder of his strength.

_I'm going to regret this..._ He thought as he dragged himself across the bed to the nightstand, reached out, grabbed the bottle and emptied it into his mouth. The red fluid slickly went down his throat and the foul taste returned again, making him cough out red smoke. Maybe it was because Link was more conscious than he was before, but the potion tasted worse than he remembered.

Nevertheless, he immediately felt his strength return to him. Pulling himself off the bed, he walked over to the nightstand and got his hood from it and placed it on his head. From there, he went around the bed to Tetra's desk to gather up the sword Orca had given him and the shield Grandma had bestowed upon him. He examined them thoroughly, checking each item carefully to make sure that were not damaged. Satisfied and relieved, he secured his pouch to his belt and strapped his sword to his back with his shield.

Link walked through drawn curtains, on the other side, there was a stairway right in front of the room leading downwards, the opening of the staircase faced a door across from Tetra's room. This seemed like an awfully strange house to Link, all the wood panels were making peculiar creaking noises and it felt like it was moving. He noticed that there were six other doors on neither side of the cabin.

Walking around the rails of the stairway, Link thought that he must still be weak from the accident at the whirlpool, he felt very dizzy and the whole room felt like it was bobbing up and down, slowly and steadily. Flinging himself against the wall, Link moved across the wall to keep him balanced all the way to the door, he had to duck slightly as he passed under one of the pairs of crossed scimitars on either side of the door.

Finally reaching the door, Link grabbed the knob, wondering where in the world he could possibly be, and opened the door. The light of the late afternoon shot into the room, revealing the deck of a massive ship, not a house as he had originally believed.

Fresh salty sea air blew into Link's face as he walked out onto the deck. The ship was moving across the ocean, Link could tell by the sound of rushing waves against the side of the hull. It was hard to tell what time it was since Link did not know what direction they were going, nor what time it was, he guessed it was almost evening since he left Outset around noon, though he did not know how long he had been unconscious.

On the far end of the boat, Link saw the helm of the ship; the helm was suspended on a rising with a ramp leading down to the deck that he was on. A tough-looking sailor commanded the helm and turned it with ease. The helmsman's back was facing Link, so that sailor had not seen him come outside. In front of Link was the mast which held the main sails of the ship and the crow's nest. A ladder up to the crow's nest was resting on the other side of the mast.

Many sailors, all somewhat ruffian-like were on the ship performing their duties, no one seemed idle. Except one person; Tetra was standing a few feet away from Link leaning on the left (His left) rail with her back to him. The wind was blowing against her causing the red neckerchief around Tetra's neck flapping in its wake.

Link had the sudden desire to approach her—it felt like an impulse—but it couldn't be. She was the closest person to him and naturally, he would go to her first. He walked towards her, but his eyes got distracted, he had to see the whole ship; it was so big and Link had never seen such a massive vessel before.

Behind him was the cabin, on either side of the door were two tied wooden ladders leading up to a platform on top of the cabin. There on the platform was a strange-looking wood catapult; it was unarmed, yet pulled all the way back in a ready-to-use position.

Moving around next to the catapult was a massive man with a thick black beard. His arms, legs and body were large, not fat, but muscular. He wore a purple shirt and dusty-brown pants. He didn't notice Link at first, he seemed to be managing the catapult while getting up every once and awhile to check the seas behind the ship.

Then he turned around and saw Link, and to the young islander's relief, the man had a very friendly smile to share with him. Link could not help but smile back at him; he seemed like a very nice person. After nodding and waving at him, the bulky sailor returned to managing the catapult.

Returning to his own task, Link continued to survey the ship. His eyes turned to the large sails and mast; he could make out a design on the largest sail, which were a hook and a sword in a faint brownish-red. Above he saw the crow's nest at the top of the mast, another sailor, who was using a brown telescope to scan the seas, most likely to keep an eye out for any islands surrounding the ship.

As Link's eyes moved to the flag on the very top of the mast, above the crow's nest, his growing excitement plummeted like solid gold in water as he beheld a black flag with a skull and crossbones. His jaw hung wide open in horror, in the sudden realization that his life was in danger. Completely stunned, Link let his thoughts escape out of his mind and out from his mouth before swallowing in fear.

"Am... am I on a pirate ship?" Link asked out-loud and then suddenly clapped his hands over his mouth. _Oh crap! Me and my big mouth!_ The young boy looked around to see if anyone had heard him or noticed and then his eyes landed his vision right in front of him.

Still leaning on the rail, Tetra had turned around.

"Ah!" She smiled. "You finally decided to come out, eh? The weather's very good today, lots of go—" Tetra stopped and her smile faded, curving into a half-frown, "What's up with you? You look like you just saw a ReDead, kid."

Link dashed over to her and said as quietly as he could, "We gotta get out of here. It's dangerous here!" He looked around to see if any of the pirates had noticed. Turning to look back at Tetra, Link found himself staring at a very perplexed looking girl.

"What?" She asked as if Link were joking around, and trying not to laugh said, "I don't need to leave, what's wrong with you?" Tetra raised one of her brows rather skeptically at him.

"But..." The boy stammered while pointing at to the sailors. "Those are pirates! You know... pirates!" he repeated loudly. Tetra laughed as if he had just made a funny joke and Link stared at her with an expression of surrealism. "... Th-this isn't a laughing matter... isn't it?"

It took awhile for Tetra to stop laughing before she spoke, tapping Link comfortingly on the shoulder. "Yes, yes," she said with a tone of voice she would use when talking to a child. "Those are pirates," she grinned. "and _I'm_ their leader."

Link didn't know how far his jaw dropped, but it felt like it was on the floor. This girl, who looked to be about his age, was the leader of a vicious group of pirates? Impossible! Why would they even listen to a fourteen-year old? But as impossible as it seemed, Link felt that she was telling the truth; he remembered how those two large sailors had listened and obeyed her commands earlier.

"I-I really don't have a-any money or anything, r-really!" He grinned fearfully as he backed away slowly, only realizing that more than his money was at stake here—even if he had any—Tetra was eying him like a hawk to a fish and grinning mischievously at him, "so y-you know, i-it's really not worth it to a-attack me or anything, really...!" He expected Tetra to call the pirates on him to take him away to some prison or worse.

After his bungled speech, Tetra paused a moment and looked at Link curiously, "Wow, you are slow, aren't you?" She asked, a chuckle passing underneath her breath, "But I suppose it's normal." She looked him up and down, "You think I want your money? Oh geez, that, what, _one whole_ rupee in your pouch is going to make to me so rich." Her voice was sarcastic as well as her smile, "It's not like I have plenty of money _already_." Then her smile became timid before she spoke again, "Think before you speak."

"Uh... but..." Link opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. "I... how was I supposed to know that you didn't care!?" He blurted out suddenly because of her unfair accusations, "I thought it didn't matter to pirates how much money they got out of someone!"

"Calm down." Tetra said softly making an advance on him and swiping with her finger across Link's arm from his elbow to this hand. The islander moved his arm back a bit, and his face once again flushed red. "Sheesh... we don't like to kill innocent people. We just like the riches, besides that, you have nothing to worry about. We did nurse you back to health, kid."

_Oh yeah..._ Link thought guiltily, he slumped. "You... you could have been tricking me, like you know, healing my wounds so you could... hurt me even more..." his words trailed off as he watched the wind catch Tetra's neckerchief. She was very cute and it reminded him of how kind she had been to him earlier. After a pause he hung his head and said, "...s-sorry..."

Tetra smiled, "Heh, It's alright, kid. I'm not a cruel type of person in any case." She turned her back to the rail and leaned on it, placing her hands behind her head, "So, why were you even out on the Sea in the first place?" Her sapphire eyes—Link noticed that they were not as hawk-like as before—wandered over to him in curiosity. "It's a bit dangerous for a single boat and a sailor to wing these waters, especially for a kid."

Link frowned; he found it extremely ironic that a girl about his age was referring to him as a "kid." He was fourteen, a man now! Yet she acted as if he were inexperienced or immature. He had sailed before out in the waters around Outset, but he had never tried to head to the mainland before. How was he supposed to know that there were waters that could drag him under the depths of the Great Sea? 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Tetra asked pointedly, her eyes were showing actual concern for him, "Don't think that we think of you as a wimpy boy." Link looked up at Tetra. "You were pretty impressive holding your balance on that ship and maintaining it in that whirlpool." She explained winking at him, "that last jump for the hook very brave, I have to say." The little captain smirked. "By the way, you're blushing."

"Gah!" Link covered his face with his faces; completely embarrassed.

Tetra chuckled at him, "You're funny. Before I forget, what is your name, kid?"

Revealing his face which was still a bit pinkish in color, Link smiled putting his hands behind his back, "My name is Link. Link Kishoke." He answered, not proudly, nor timidly just happily and then he remembered her other question. "Oh! I was just trying to get to the mainland. I didn't know about these dangerous waters out here... I never knew that type of stuff even existed." He looked off to the side, a bit embarrassed. 

"Ah..." Tetra paused, taking her hands and clasping them together; she eyed Link and asked, "What did you need to do at the mainland, eh? Thought you could get to Hyrule all on your own on a little fisherman boat like that?" Link frowned at her as she chuckled again, he felt like a court jester. "Seriously, why were you going to Hyrule? I have a couple of guesses... but..." she smirked and waited for him to answer.

Link pointed to his sword on his back, a smile growing on his face, surely she would be impressed by this, "_I'm_ going to enter in the Swordsman Tournament." He stood up straight looking rather smug and proud, "_and_ I'm going to win."

For a moment, he thought it had worked; Tetra was staring at him with wide eyes, but then to Link's astonishment, she broke out into laughter. "You? You're a child! Children don't win in that tournament!" She nearly fell over from laughing, some of the pirates were gathering around to see what Tetra was laughing about, "_No one_ wins the first time they enter that thing. Only veterans of that tournament could ever hope to win." She began to stop, glancing at the gathering pirates, who immediately at seeing her glance went back to work without a word.

Link gritted his teeth angrily. Who was this girl who could talk like she was an adult and even control these pirates, who were all men, with a single glance? She was no ordinary girl that's what he could figure, but everything else about her eluded his mind.

Tetra smiled, "Ah... you don't like that do you?" Clearing her throat, she moved over to him again and took hold of his sword's hilt and drew it out. Link tried to stop her and he almost managed to, but the sword slipped out of his sheath, "Whoa! I didn't expect you to be fast like that," Tetra said, "I'm not stealing it, I just want to look at it. Relax."

Refraining, Link let Tetra examine his sword to her will. She scanned it for a few moments and then handed it back to him, "Well... at least you were prepared." Tetra said approvingly. "That thing's in good shape, kid. Too bad," she added and then turning around to lean on the rail with her arms folded looking out to sea, "These days you need a sponsor to get into the Tournament."

Link looked up and blinked at Tetra, "A sponsor? What's a sponsor?"

Tetra smirked, "A sponsor is either a person, a group of people or a company that is willing to finance your place in the tournament." She explained this slowly and clearly to him like he was a very young child. "They pay for your registration fees, shelter, food and other stuff. In any case, if you're not sponsored the people who sit at the registration desk see you as a nobody with no skills. Having a sponsor tells them that there is someone out there that recognizes your talents and fighting abilities."

Link understood and felt dismayed at the information. A sponsor, Orca never mentioned anything about needing a sponsor. He was old though, and it was possible that the additional requirement of being sponsored came later; after Orca had finished his attempts at the competition. It was frustrating, Link had always wanted to enter that tournament, but registration never came to his mind as an issue.

Tetra had turned around and shrugged at Link. "Sorry, Link. Most companies won't be willing to finance you unless they see your fighting abilities." Facing towards the helm, she continued, "And chances that anyone would be willing to see a child fight, let alone an _islander_," She paused. "... are almost non-existent."

Link's whole world shattered; the tournament had meant so much to him. It angered him that he was still seen as a child and what added fuel to the fire was the discrimination against islanders. How was he supposed to know all this beforehand? Then he had an idea. "Wait a second... Couldn't you guys sponsor me?"

Tetra snorted and looked like she about to giggle, but retained her composure. "I don't think so," she said.

"Well why not? We're looking for a swordsman, aren't we, Miss?" Asked a masculine voice behind Link, it was Senza. He must have been curious to what was going on and had starting paying attention to their conversation. Link saw Tetra bit her lip; probably an unexpected turn of events.

Link's jaw dropped. "You... you..." He stammered in unbelief, and then suddenly blurting out in joy as if it were a grand revelation from above. "_I'm a swordsman!_ You could sponsor me! Please?"

"We can't, kid," Tetra repeated, shaking her head. Senza and Link both looked dumbfounded at her. "Where do you live, kid?" She asked politely and raising a hand at Senza because he looked like he was about to protest.

Unfortunately for her, Link was not about to give up, "Now, wait one second, you need a swordsman and I happen to be one!" He was confused, he did not understand how Tetra could dismiss him so easily, "And I'm not a bad one either I—"

"_You're a kid!_" Tetra suddenly shot at him vehemently with her eyes blazing with blue flames.

Link stumbled and almost fell onto his back. He looked to Senza for help, but the large pirate was intimidated by the little captain and was backing away a few feet. After the eruption, Link heard the steady rumble of Tetra's wrath cool down, despite her flashing eyes. _I think I'm beginning to see why they listen to her, it's like walking on eggshells around her._

The poor swordsman had no clue why Tetra had exploded; she seemed stress. "Again, where do you live, kid?" She asked calmly, but with a more deadly tone of voice that made Link think twice about protesting.

"O... Outset Island," He answered slowly.

Tetra exhaled with irritation, and Link was still confused. Link knew, though, that Outset was the farthest island from the mainland and it was even further from Windfall. Even worse no city or country traded with Outset, making it difficult for him to get home. Was that why Tetra was frustrated? Tetra let out a sigh of regret, she turned her head towards the pirate at the helm.

"Gonzo!" She called out. "Head for Outset Island!" He looked as if he was about to question her, but she responded before he could say a word. "Don't ask why! Just do it!" Tetra yelled at him, she seemed to be growing angry, and thus, the pirate at the helm complied with her orders.

Link was utterly dumbfounded, more than anything he wanted to enter the tournament and this girl needed a swordsman. It was a perfect match-up, yet she wasn't going to use him? He didn't understand why she refused him; he was a perfectly capable fighter and willing to prove himself. Link opened his mouth to protest again, but stopped seeing Tetra's narrowed eyes directed like daggers at him.

"Look, kid." She said rather nastily, "I'm _not_ in the mood for bickering, we're taking you home. I can't leave you on Windfall and I can't leave you on the mainland. You know too much already."

"But...! But..!" Link stammered, trying to find some way to prove that she was wrong. "I'll do anything to get in and...!" Tetra raised a hand to stop him.

"No way," Tetra responded with a tone of finality in her voice, "I'm not using you, so just_ forget it._" She then turned around, letting her anger vent out slowly and said nothing else to him.

Link kicked the deck angrily, catching Tetra's and Senza's attention and then hung his head. He then felt the large pirate pat him on the shoulder comfortingly. A smile passed from Link to Senza and then the islander said, "Thanks..."

He was feeling utter despair when he heard Tetra ask suddenly, "Link, was it?" It startled him, but her voice was more tender this time.

"Y-yes..." Link stammered. Tetra spun around to look at him again, making him feel edgy; her eyes had that hawk-like look to them again.

"Since you're going to be here, you might as well be useful." Her temper seemed to be doused, but Link still felt that he was on thin ice. "You've got that telescope, we could use another watch up on the Crow's Nest since..." she narrowed her eyes and then rolled them. "The current one only works half the time."

He had smiled for a second, but it was gone as fast as it had risen. _I'm going to be a watch!?_ He thought, completely shocked, _there's no way I can prove myself!_ He paused before he asked in a disappointed voice, "I... I'm going to be a watch?"

"Aye," She replied with a few nods, "Speaking of which..." She turned around and looked up to the crow's nest. There, a short pirate up in the crow's nest was falling asleep over its rim. He wore a blue striped shirt and a red bandanna over his head; his sideburns were so thick that Link could see them all the way from the deck, "_Zuko!_" Tetra yelled up at him, shaking him awake.

She then turned to Link. "Zuko has a tendency to fall asleep on the job, so if he does begin to doze off, be sure to whack him with the flat-side of your sword," She smiled rather smugly, "If he complains, just tell him that I ordered you to do it. If he continues to complain, tell me and he'll regret it."

"Well... I suppose, but a watch?" Link asked, scratching his head, "I don't know about that... It doesn't seem like much. I mean—" He stopped; the look on Tetra's face was vivid.

"_I told you_ that I'm not in the mood for this..." Tetra was gritting her teeth, and to think that she was smiling nicely at him a few minutes ago. "You really are a child, _forget about the tournament_. I'm not taking you, no way, ever a disrespectful brat like you!" She pointed up to the crow's nest, "Now_ get up there!_"

Link hung his head and climbed up the ladder silently, her words had really stung. _I am such an idiot._ _Why did I do that? She's right, I am a child._ He thought bitterly, resolving to apologize to her when they reached Outset. As he climbed, he whacked his own head with his shield, feeling guilty.

"Zuko!" Tetra called to the short, yet tough-looking pirate above Link. "Remember this kid? He's going to help you keep watch while we take him home. Show him the ropes, eh?" Her voice was calmer again, yet there was a tone of indignation that still remained.

Zuko saluted her, not wanting to disobey her or anger her any further. "Aye-aye, Miss!"

§

When Link got to the top, Zuko acknowledged him. "So, Matey, we're taking you back to yer little home, eh?" Link just made a short nod and then took to his task, still angry at himself. Zuko patted him on the shoulder. "Fer someone that got a mouthful of Miss Tetra's anger, ya handled it darn well."

The wind was a bit stronger up in the crow's nest, mainly because on the deck about half the ship was obstructing the wind, not counting the fact that a sailor would walk in front of you on occasion, blocking further contact with the breeze. However, the crow's nest had an excellent view of the waters around the ship, much more so than on the deck that Link began to understand how important a watch was.

Link pulled out Aryll's telescope to scan the seas, uncertain of what he was looking for. Zuko looked a bit astonished; he hadn't expected Link to have such a thing. "Eh," He said putting his hand on his chin, "you know how to use that, me bucko?" Link nodded, feeling completely devoid of any happiness. "Then, I'd guess you already know how ta spot islands. But there is a much more important part to being a watch: keepin' an eye out fer ships."

"Ships?" Link asked. "We look out for ships?"

Zuko smiled. "Yeah and there are two specific ones I want ya to look fer, are ya ready?"

Link nodded. "Yes, sir."

Zuko raised a brow at Link, "'Sir'?" He chuckled, feeling very proud, "'Sir?' Yer a pretty respectful young lad, eh?" He laughed and Link only half-smiled; he knew it was a lie. The pirate breathed in and said loudly, "Alright then!"

Zuko took Link to the edge of the crow's nest and began to explain, "Alright, matey. There are two ships you need to keep a look out fer." He put up a finger. "First, you'll be looking fer a ship made of wood and steel. Those are the ships of the Royal Armada. You'll know 'em when ya see 'em considering they're the finest ships in the sea, but you also have to watch out for their flag, which has the Royal Family crest on it. That would be the red falcon and the Triforce."

Link remembered seeing such a symbol before, he took his shield in his hands and examined the crest on the front, and then looked at Zuko, "You mean, like this?" He showed the pirate the symbol upon his shield; it was the same one that Zuko had described, except the falcon and the Triforce were both gold in color.

"Aye." Zuko grunted. "That be very close to what you have to look fer. If you see that on any of the ships out there, make sure you tell me or Miss Tetra quickly!" Link nodded in response, but Zuko frowned and his voice darkened, "But there is another ship that you need to keep out fer." He held up a second finger. "The next ship ya gotta keep yer eyes peeled for, is a black ship. You go running to Miss Tetra if you see a black ship with human skulls hung around the hull, understand? Don't wait one second!"

The image horrified Link; a black ship with human skulls across it. "Wh-what type of ship is that?" He could not imagine what person would do such a thing.

Zuko shook his head. "Yer better off not knowing, matey. Just keep a sharp lookout for it, if you miss it, it could mean our end."


	5. Chapter 4: Captain Ghashar

Chapter 4: Captain Ghashar

The contours of Outset Island could be seen in the distance as the sun set in the west creating an orange-gold skyline. The pace of the pirates' ship across the water much slower than before because the wind's strength had decreased over the past few hours. Link and Zuko were still up in the crow's nest, while the pirates were about working on their duties throughout the ship.

Link had gotten to know Zuko fairly well; he was once a sailor before he became a pirate. He had found the life of a sailor extremely dull and wanted something more. Zuko had the love for adventure and wanted friends that he could talk with, laugh with, and have such journeys with, Gonzo and the others were the perfect bunch.

However when he had joined the group of pirates—Tetra was not their captain—Gonzo (the man steering the boat) was. Zuko then explained to Link that the pirates—before they met Tetra—were the morons of the sea. They had no unity; Gonzo, despite his intelligence lacked the necessary leadership abilities to command the pirates. Without these qualities, plans for plunder and riches always went wrong; ending them up in Hyrule Castle's prisons for the umpteenth time.

Then one night a brave girl stowed away on their ship one night as they left Windfall. When the pirates discovered her she told them that she was an orphan. The pirates asked her what her name was and she said that everyone called her "Tetra." Zuko scratched his chin, "So that's when we first met her. We didn't have the heart to kill her so... we took her up and raised her from then on, eventually calling her 'Miss Tetra.'" The short pirate grinned a little, for Link seemed absolutely enthralled by the tale and his ears were eager for more.

Accordingly, Zuko continued with his tale; none of them had ever expected Tetra to become the leader at all. At first, the pirates didn't take any notice of her, except to clothe her and feed her. She was a very pretty young girl and often could get her ways by using her charming girlish attitude because the pirates had always felt like a group of fathers to her. She joined in with their daily strength training and became somewhat strong herself. The pirates found that she was much more agile than any of them and as Tetra grew, her personality and her looks evolved, yet her charisma never changed.

Link looked curiously at him, "Her charisma never changed?" He knew what charisma was, "I know a charismatic person is good-looking and very persuasive, but aren't they are also good leaders?"

Zuko nodded, "That's what I was about to get at, matey." Throughout the years Tetra had always watched their plans with curiosity and one day, Tetra had donned a pirate-like outfit; the very same she wore today with the crimson neckerchief and everything else. Slowly, using her charm and wit, the pirates realized that she was not only intelligent, but was skilled in tactical planning. She could never think well on the spot, but she usually planned for such surprises, so the pirates began to use her suggestions and ideas in every plan because they tended to lead to success. It wasn't long until she was making the plans instead.

There was no formal ceremony, but eventually their Miss Tetra became the captainess of the ship just about a few months before her eleventh birthday as the pirates began to follow her orders and commands. While sometimes she was harsh (as Link had experienced earlier), she was very mature, smart and crafty; enough to create successful raids. Notwithstanding, the pirates only stole from the rich, tending to give back to the poor and made sure not to kill anyone—unless it was absolutely necessary—on of their plunders. The results turned the Morons of the Seas into the Terror of the Seas.

"That's how Miss Tetra came ta lead us, and none of us regret it either." Zuko said, ending the story. He was then just about to tell Link about more of the pirates adventures when they were interrupted by what Link thought at first to be a beaver in a pirate's outfit and then realized that his face looked like a beaver's.

"Ahoy, mateys!" He said rather excitedly with an unfitting low voice, he was a little shorter than Zuko and looked to be somewhat of nettlesome being. He pointed at Link, "Is he our new swabbie, matey?" he asked with a grin on his face.

Link shook his head vigorously and looked at Zuko with a puzzled face, "Who is this? And what's a 'swabbie'?"

Zuko snorted with displeasure, "That's Niko, _our_ swabbie." He explained to Link in a whispered voice before turning to Niko to explain, "No, he's not a new swabbie." The tough pirate answered sternly, "He's the kid we saved, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Niko said, "Well it's obvious, ain't it? She'll promote him to something higher than a swabbie for really holding the mast down in that whirlpool, yar." He tried to sound indifferent on the matter, but his voice betrayed him with a tone of disappointment.

Zuko rolled his eyes at Niko, "No, he's not. We're taking him back to his home. It's obvious that you don't pay attention, matey. All you really wanted or was hoping for was to get yer hands off of them dirty clothes! That's all!" Zuko exclaimed, a little miffed, and folding his arms, "In any case, don't you have some washin' ta do?"

Niko frowned, "I just wanted to see him and talk to him, Zuko. You don't hafta get so angry at me." He smiled at Link, "So matey... ya want to come down below deck for a little game?"

Before Link could respond (though he wasn't sure how, he was perplexed by Niko's behavior), Zuko scowled and Niko and spoke, "He's up here keeping watch with me, Miss Tetra said so. And in fact," He advanced on Niko, "I'm sure Miss Tetra wouldn't be too happy if she found out you weren't doing yer duties, Niko." He grinned, "And she ain't in a very good mood right now."

Niko swallowed nervously, "T-tell Miss Tetra?" He smiled nervously and began to back away, "Heh, n-now that ya-a mention it, matey, I-I do have s-some washin'-in' ta do. Well I'll b-be seeing you guys later, just don't t-tell Miss Tetra..." Niko then scurried down the ladder, just like a beaver.

Link just stood there for a moment, blinking his eyes in astonishment at what had just occurred and then looked at Zuko and asked again, "What's a 'swabbie'?"

Zuko grinned and let out a little chuckle, "Lowest rung of the ladder, kid. He does all the dirty work, washin', cleanin', making sure the barrels don't tip over in the lower deck. It's a boring and shameful job." He shrugged indifferently, "But Niko ain't the brightest star in the sky, he deserves it." Zuko then half-smiled, "Just be glad ya ain't the swabbie."

Link slowly nodded and went back to scanning the seas, he asked Zuko to continue the story about their adventures but the pirate had decided to stop talking in case Tetra was around. "She's in a bad mood today, been that way since she got up and ya remember what she was like when she was yellin' at ya, kid?"

"Yeah," Link said slowly becoming nervous and wondering what Zuko was trying to tell him.

Zuko gave him a dark look, "Ya dun want ta know what she's like when she's really mad."

Link decided that he couldn't agree more and immediately went back to searching the seas with Ayrll's Telescope. _Walking volcano, Link..._

-S-

That was two hours ago; now the sun was setting and Link was getting depressed again. Just looking at the shadow of Outset made him sick. It was not like he hated his home, it was just the idea of coming back to tell them that he had not participated at all. In fact, all he had done was sail around, nearly die, and was saved by a group of pirates. _What will Grandma, Orca and the others think?_ He thought shamefully.

His hopes of Tetra reconsidering him as her swordsman for the tournament had died away like a fire under a waterfall. The tournament, like the steam of a doused fire, seemed to be no longer alive as a possible dream to him anymore._ Maybe the wind will die down and the ship will stop_, he thought hopelessly.

Link was so depressed that he did not notice that the pirates were leaving their posts and gathering around at the cabin. Tetra was gathering them for some sort of meeting to save time since the ship was so slow and almost at near stopping speed. All of them had assembled except one.

"_Zuko!_" Tetra called from the deck up the crow's nest. Link looked up and shook his head tiredly. He gazed over to his pirate friend and then did a double-take. Just as she had said, Zuko was asleep, his hands over the rim of the crow's nest. Link was sure that Tetra could see the dozing pirate, but he was going to do as she told him to do: wake Zuko up.

He walked over and tapped Zuko on the shoulder, no response. He tired whispering in the pirate's ear, no response. He tried poking him in the arm, Did he move? No, no, he's still asleep. Link sighed frustratingly and he kicked Zuko's right leg in anger. The pirate kept on snoring and Link was beginning to hate the sound of it.

"_Zuko!!_" Tetra called again, her voice was growing more and more aggravated. Link twisted his face and bit his lip nervously. Then he remembered what Tetra had told him to do, he didn't like it though. Taking out the sword Orca had given him, Link readied and slammed it across Zuko's back with as much force as he could.

Letting out a yelp out pain, Zuko turned on Link and exploded with his face hot red with anger, "_What the heck did ya do that for ya scurvy brat!?_" He shouted.

"Tetra told me to do it." Link said, trying not to stutter or back away, "You're not supposed to fall asleep on duty and besides-" but Zuko cut him off, still yelling and jumping up and down furiously.

"_You don't tell me what ta do, boy!!_" He bellowed so loudly that Link couldn't help but stumble backwards.

"_ZUKO!!_" Screamed a very angry and familiar voice below them.

Zuko stopped in his place, and his face emptied its color supply. He looked at Link with his eyes shrinking fearfully and swallowed. They went over to the ladder and looked down onto the deck to see the captainess staring back up in hot displeasure. Link thought that Tetra looked even angrier than when she had yelled at him; at least he wasn't in trouble, or so he hoped.

"Knock it off!" She growled, her eyes shot off a wave of blue fire, "I told you _not to sleep on duty_ over a _hundred_ times!" She took a second to breathe and then added fiercely, "Secondly, don't yell at Link because he obeyed my orders! At least he was doing his job..." Her voice stung Zuko with guilt.

He looked at Link very sheepishly, "Er... sorry..." He said to him, "It... it just really hurt, that's all, matey. I-I didn't mean to yell at ya." He grinned weakly, "S-still shipmates?" He extended his hand to Link, who took it with a benign smile.

"Sure." Link said, completely willing to forgive Zuko. It didn't matter to him, he felt better now that Tetra had at least noticed his efforts, perhaps she would take back what she had said about the tournament for his obedience,

"I'm sorry, Miss... I... uh..." Zuko said looking down towards the deck at her.

Tetra sighed and rolled her eyes, "Zuko," she said with a scolding voice, "I really don't want to hear it, just get down here. I'm calling a meeting." She explained, "And next time," she added with authority and narrowing her eyes, "_don't fall asleep on duty!_"

Zuko saluted her, "Aye-aye, Miss!" Not wanting to incur further wrath, he grabbed the ladder and began to climb down it. When he reached the bottom, he passed Tetra—avoiding her gaze fearfully—over to the other pirates, all of whom were looking a bit shaken by Tetra's recent temper. She looked over to the pirates and motioned them inside the cabin. Link wondered why she was waiting until he saw turn around and look up at him.

He felt a jerk in his stomach; surely he hadn't done anything wrong, but then he let out a sigh of relief. Tetra was smiling at him and Link felt his face grow warm, "Good job." She commended him, "I have to say that was quite surprising. Zuko literally sleeps like a rock and it takes a lot of force to wake him up." She nodded, "But don't think-"

Link held up his hands, "I know, I know. You won't take me as your swordsman," he sighed with disappointment. "I only wish..." he added, quietly musing his dreams. Tetra shrugged and turned around to go when suddenly Link realized something and called out to her, "Tetra!" She turned around to look at him, "I... uh..." He felt his face go red; she looked so pretty with the sunset's orange glow around her. "I... I'm sorry for being... a pain earlier today."

Tetra smiled at him, "That's alright. I'm just a bit... stressed recently." She winked at him, "You're a good kid, a bit slow, but still a good kid." Link felt himself go completely red when she winked at him, but Tetra didn't seem to notice, "Now, just because I'm being nice, don't neglect your duties. You're still a watch. I hope Zuko told what to look for." She added, raising a brow in curiosity. Link's smile faded, turning into a grim frown and he nodded slowly.

"Good." Tetra replied with a very serious voice, "Remember, it's getting late, if you see anything suspicious, come down and get me immediately. Don't worry," she added noticing his expression, "If it isn't something threatening, we won't punish you. Understand?"

Link nodded earnestly; for he was beginning to realize the gravity of his duties. "I do..." He said in response, the image of the black ship that Zuko told him about hung in his mind darkly.

"Very good." Tetra said, satisfied with Link's growing courage. She then turned around and walked to the cabin door, opened it and walked inside, closing the door behind her. Tetra said that she had been calling a meeting and Link was curious as to what it could be. _Probably nothing really important_, he thought.

-S-

Inside the cabin the pirates were chatting about the recent events that had occurred during the very busy day. They had arranged themselves, sitting right beside the door that lead onto the main deck, in a circle formation. Gonzo sat nearest to the doorway, and next to him on his left was Zuko. To Zuko's Left sat Senza, then Mako, Nudge and finally Niko (who was pinned in-between Gonzo and Nudge).

"Just what happened out there? Why were you and Miss Tetra yellin' so much?" Senza asked Zuko. He spoke for the group, for all of them were very curious (and a bit frightened).

Zuko, who had been looking down at his boots with a look of shame on his face, hesitated before he talked, "Well I was yellin' because the kid had woken me up," some of the pirates laughed, which made Zuko feel rather abashed. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't suppos'd be sleeping on duty. So Miss Tetra told the kid to wake me if I did.. I got pretty angry at 'em and she blew her stack." The pirates continued to snicker at him, He glared at them and said loudly, "Hey! There was a reason I got angry, alright?"

Senza yawned, "'Tis a shame Miss Tetra won't use 'em. I'll bet he is a lot stronger than he looks," he received many baffled stares from the others. "Oh, come on!" Senza sat up and folded his arms, "Don't be tellin' me that ye mateys don't think that he's strong. Y'all saw how he survived that whirlpool," he said, pointing his finger at all of them.

"Luck, Senza," Gonzo snorted before shaking his head doubtingly, "Sure he may be strong, but not enough for Miss Tetra. Ya saw how angry she was when he whined for being set as a watch." Rolling his eyes, Gonzo then said, "Bein' a watch don't be meaning that you're a deck washer; it's an important job!" He looked over to Zuko, "Even if ya sleep on the job sometimes, you have saved our skins a few times because of you bein' a watch."

Zuko nodded at Gonzo, "Yeah, it's important, but how was an islander like him supposed ta know?" He seemed to be defending Link's case, which grabbed the interest of the pirates. "But not strong enough?" He snorted, "That kid's tough, you didn't feel it when he slammed me in the back with the flat side of his sword there, matey. It still stings!" He added, rubbing his back tenderly.

Gonzo pretended to be skeptical, but he had a nagging feeling that Zuko might be right about Link's strength. For one thing Zuko was tough; he could take major blows that the other pirates would not be able to manage. Zuko's back pain convicted the idea that Link might be stronger than he looked.

Nudge from the other side cleared his throat, he was a large, yet thin pirate who often guarded Miss Tetra's cabin at the captainess's command. He had tendency to clear his throat before he spoke, and his voice was very flamboyant. "Well, I haven't really met the lad," he admitted, despite the fact he had assisted in saving Link's life, "but he can't possibly be more annoying than Niko!" The other pirates grinned and eyed Niko; they could agree with that.

"I'd be a better pirate than him!" He said scornfully, obviously he did not appreciate Nudge's comment.

That was the cue for the pirates to roll their eyes; all of them shared the opinion that _anyone_ could be a better pirate than Niko. Especially since all Niko did was clean the ship and their clothes. He had never really assisted in any of their raids, except a few times when he bungled up the plan in a tight knot. Miss Tetra was always very unhappy about that, and decided to end Niko's raiding career for the time being.

"I still think he's a wimp." Gonzo grunted, not sounding convinced, "I mean, he's so scrawny and well, Miss Tetra was right in taking him back!" It was like him to be the most supportive of Tetra's orders, "It'd just be a bad pain in the butt, mateys if he stays around."

"I think," Mako said suddenly, looking up from his book and adjusting his glasses, "that we can't be sure how strong or useful that boy could be until we make a proper analysis." He smiled at them, the other pirates grinned but they did not laugh. Sure, Mako sounded really strange in the midst of these hard-talking and tough pirates, but Mako's "proper analysis's" came in handy on their trips. He was the genius on the ship, next to Tetra.

"I think," said a voice from behind the circle, "that you boys talk too much."

The pirates turned and looked towards the main cabin doorway; there with a grin on her face and her arms folded was Tetra, leaning against the door. She had been watching and listening to the pirates' conversation and they had no idea how long she had been there.

With a satisfied smirk on her face, she walked into the middle of the circle—her usual position. "He's not a bad kid," she spoke as if she had been part of the conversation since the beginning, "but I have to say that he's given me quite a headache." A bunch of the pirates grinned knowingly; Niko particularly had a smug look on his face, "Though, it's not a migraine like some specific pirates—whose names I shall not mention—have given me in the past." Every pirate's eye (except Tetra's) moved to Niko and watched as his smug smile melted away.

Gonzo shook his head and chuckled a little before asking, "So... what took you so long, Miss? Did the kid cause some more trouble?"

"No." Tetra said while turning around to look at Gonzo, "I was just making sure that he wouldn't start wandering around the ship. He's being very obedient now," she added with a mischievous smile. The pirates swallowed; had she disciplined Link? They did not want to think about it.

Nor did they have the time to think about it; for that at very moment Tetra took out a scroll from her pouch. "Alright then," she said with a commanding voice, "this meeting is called to order." She opened the scroll and turned around to show all the pirates its contents.

On it was a diagram of the _Temple of Time_ filled with all sorts of routes, paths into ventilation openings, old forgotten windows, and other nooks and crannies; some of which the group wouldn't understand until Tetra had explained it all. It was obvious that their captainess had been spending a long time on the diagram and, most likely, the plan itself.

"You all know what this is, don't you?" Tetra asked rhetorically, "I've been working on this for the past few months, taking everything from the notes I took while we watched the tournaments over the past two years." She grinned with satisfaction at the pirates stunned expressions. They had thought their trips to the tournament were for relaxation and recreation. Yet, the whole time Tetra had been taking notes and planning a future assault.

Pointing with her finger at various points of the map, Tetra explained, "When we get there, we avoid the guards by taking an old path that almost completely hidden by bushes and shrubs. Only the King and some of his advisers know about this path, the guards aren't informed about it because no one has used that path in over half a century. Back then, this was the main road into the Temple and there was a large door there." She held a finger up, "however, that door is now no more than a wall."

As she spoke Tetra eyed all them individually and then finally as a group, "We'll have to split up into two groups. Senza, Mako, and Niko," she said, looking at them, "You are to stay at the tournament to hold our seats and to keep a pretense that our 'company' is still there." Senza and Mako understood their parts, but Niko just sulked.

Tetra silenced Niko before he could speak with a dangerous look in her eyes. "So," she continued as if nothing had happened, "that will leave me, Gonzo, Nudge, and Zuko to get into the temple. Gonzo and I are going to climb up the walls to an open window on the roof using grappling hooks while Zuko and Nudge are going to crawl through an old ventilation opening. Both ways lead into the main room where we can surprise the guards and take the _Ocarina of Time_ before we're noticed."

Zuko blinked, "'Ventilation opening'? What's that?"

Tetra turned around to face him and explained further, "A ventilation opening is small thin passage that lets air into the Temple. If there were no openings, then as soon as the doors closed any person inside would suffocate to death." Zuko swallowed grimly, yet his captainess smiled at him as if she trying comfort a child, "Fortunately, Hylian architects thought of that when the built the Temple; we should be grateful for that."

Niko raised a hand—causing the others to glare at him and Tetra to roll her eyes—but she took his question anyway, "Aren't the guards in the _Temple of Time_ supposed to be the best of the Royal Family's military?" He asked, "I mean... won't that make it hard to knock'em out or something?" He added, trying not to sound stupid.

Zuko scowled at him and the growled, "Psah! You! Why do you even care? Yer not even goin' into the Temple, ya-" Tetra raised a hand to silence Zuko and then turned to look at Niko with a smile on her face. This was strange, it was not often that Tetra smiled at Niko.

"I'm actually glad you asked that question." She said, glancing at the other pirates, "In case anyone has forgotten or didn't pay attention to me in _other_ meetings." She continued to explain, moving her hands to supplement her words, "Normally, the guards are your 'average-joe' soldier of the Hyrule military; however, our King is quite prideful and foolish. During the tournament, access to the Temple is open to the public in between matches, save a group of the King's best guards—the elite of the military—to watch those that want entrance." She then grinned and then further explained, "The King's pride blinds him; he doesn't think that anyone can get through that type of defense, so he places the lesser ranking guards, that we normally encounter, in the Temple to protect the Ocarina."

Tetra began to move around the circle like a snake, "this is why..." she said, pausing to savor the suspense-filled atmosphere she was creating. Every pirate in the room had their eyes locked on her, the fires from the torches in the room reflected in her narrowed sapphire eyes, waiting intensively for Tetra to finish her statement; she loved every bit of the attention.

"...getting the _Ocarina of Time_ will be easy as cake." She finally said, snapping her fingers as she rolled the scroll together and placed it on its head so that she could lean against it like a pole.

The pirates were in awe, Tetra had outdone herself this time and some of them were about to clap when Tetra held up a finger, "But..." she cautioned, "getting into the Temple and snagging the Ocarina are the _only_ easy parts."

"Ahem What do you mean, 'the only easy parts', Miss Tetra?" Nudge asked rather flamboyantly, straighting his unusually long hair.

"The difficult part will be getting out and hiding the Ocarina without being noticed." Tetra explained pointedly, "and sadly," she added with a shrug, "there isn't much we can do about that, except rely on our luck. I've tried everything, the best we can do is sneak out of Hyrule without getting noticed. If our swordsman lost, that would be helpful; the authorities would force us out of the tournament." She noted, but then sighed revealing her tension about the matter, "But again, we really can only rely on our luck for this last part of the plan." Tetra examined them all carefully, "This raid of ours, is extremely important, perhaps our most important raid of them all."

-S-

_Nothing important at all... _Link thought as he watched the Sun set deeper behind the horizon in the west. He had become depressed again after Tetra and pirates had gone inside for the meeting. There was no one for him to talk to, no hope of getting to the mainland for him, and nothing bothered the seas before him.

He had been watching the oceans carefully as Tetra had asked him to do, but it was becoming more and more dull to do as the time passed. Every vanishing moment was one less moment until he had to face everyone on Outset and explain to their confused and disappointed expressions his early return. He cringed at the image of the sight of Aryll's face, horrified and ashamed of her older brother.

Maybe he was exaggerating their reactions; maybe they would be happy to see him anyway, maybe Aryll would still smile at him. Just maybe; but at the same time, Link thought about how he had promised to return to Outset a champion with tales of the mainland which none of his friends or family had ever seen and could only imagine in their dreams.

_But that is only a fantasy and this is reality_, Link reminded himself, _Tetra is probably right,_ _most swordsmen have been practicing for many more years than I have._ He scanned the seas once more in hope of a disturbance; he found nothing. The seas were empty of life, like Link was empty of hope.

At least, he thought the seas were empty before he looked again; on the horizon and little to the left of the setting sun, Link could see a small black object moving across the sea. It was definitely far away, even further than Outset was from the ship was Link's guess. He blinked, it seemed like the object was getting bigger by the second. Blinking and rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he opened them again to behold that the black object was indeed there and growing.

Taking out Aryll's telescope, Link examined the object on the sea. It was a ship—of what type it was, Link could not tell, but he was certain that this vessel was advancing on the pirate ship. Pulling out the scope to zoom in on the vessel, Link took a closer look; what he saw through the telescope terrified him.

The hull was as black as a moonless night, also the ship's deck, mast and even the sails were that dark. The flag was coal-black with a human skull-and-crossbones in blood red. As the black ship rushed through the water, Link could see human skulls, all hung on a rope strung around the rim of the deck. This was the ship Zuko warned Link about and according to the way he told Link to handle this situation, this ship was worse than running into a vessel of the Royal Family's armada.

He knew what to do immediately, Link rushed out of the crow's nest and down the ladder to the main deck with great celerity. Sprinting to the cabin door, he bashed on it with his fist. Not waiting for an answer, he opened the door franticly and shoved his head inside.

Tetra and the pirates all turned to look at him curiously, Link, not trying to catch his breath sputtered, "Black... ship...!" The pirates' faces turned into serious expressions. Zuko nodded approvingly at Link and Tetra stopped leaning on the scroll, standing up straight and looking very sober concerning the situation.

"Where is the ship coming from?" She asked calmly yet with full understanding, "What direction is it coming from?"

Finally catching his breath Link said before gasping slightly, "From the west." He looked around rather fearfully, "I cannot believe it, those skulls... I..." He would continue but Tetra held a hand up to silence him and then she turned to Niko.

"Take this and put in my room, Niko," she ordered, motioning to the scroll, "and then get a dagger, we'll need all the help we can get." No one protested. Although Niko looked a bit excited, even he could sense the severity of the situation, saluting her and taking the scroll he ran off to her room. Motioning for the pirates to get up she then turned to Link and said, "Show us the ship."

Link took them outside and pointed to the west. The Black Ship had grown much bigger and none of needed a telescope to see the skulls lining the rim of the deck. At this range, Link could hear strange, inhuman sounds coming from the vessel, making his blood rate increase by tenfold.

Tetra nodded grimly, "It's Ghashar..." she stated, Link looked at her not knowing who or what 'Ghashar' was. "Everyone!" She said loudly and with authority, "Get your swords, daggers and grappling hooks. Gonzo! Take the helm and steer carefully around Ghashar's ship, Senza, Nudge, get the cannons ready. Zuko and Mako get to your battle positions." She then turned to Link and hesitated.

She had said that they needed as much help as possible, but now that she looked at Link, she wasn't sure. Tetra knew he was willing to fight, but she did not want him to die as innocent blood on her hands. "I'm sorry... we can handle this." She said sounding skeptical.

"What?" Link exclaimed with his jaw dropping, "I thought you needed as much help as possible!" He shook his head in utter disbelief, "I know I don't look like it, but I can fight! Let me help you!" At first, he thought his pleading had worked.

"No." She said firmly putting her hand up, "I can't let you fight." He was about to protest but Tetra continued, "You're not a part of my group. And Ghashar is after my group. I don't want an innocent dying on account of me." She sighed and scratched her head and then said, "Get into the crow's nest, kid and wait there, but!" she added before he complain, "If all seven of us are in danger, you are welcome to fight, understand?"

He smiled because now, he had a chance to prove himself. Link nodded vigorously and answered, "I understand!"

"That's 'Aye-aye, Miss Tetra!'" She corrected, putting her hands on her hips and smirking. Link blushed and saluted her in response.

"Aye-aye, Miss Tetra!"

She grinned, "That's what I like to hear: enthusiasm in the face of real danger! I have to admit, you're slow, but you have a lot of courage for a kid." He blushed again, this time with a deeper hue. Tetra pointed up to the crow's nest and said, "Now get up there!"

He nodded and flew over to the ladder and climbed up the mast to the crow's nest as quickly as he could. Once he was in, he ducked under enough to hide his body, keeping his face above the edge of the crow's nest in order to take in all that was happening. Looking out, he saw the Black Ship—which was very close now—turning its side to Tetra's ship. On board, Link saw numerous creatures that he recognized the instant he saw them.

Bokoblins. They were hylian-like creatures with dark-purple skin and narrow yellow eyes. They had pointed ears and were, on average about six to seven and a half feet tall. They had small rat-like tails and pig-like hooves. All of them were wearing vests, shirts, bandannas, earrings, swords, daggers and many other things Link could not see.

Link had fought bokoblins before; they lived in the forest on Outset Island. They were not exceptionally bright; for Link and his younger sister, Aryll had always been able to outsmart them. The bokoblins on Outset loved to gather together and attack the village. Usually, a group of males, led by Orca would fight them off easily.

But these bokoblins did not look so stupid; they were organized, quick, and efficient as far as Link could tell from the crow's nest. The Black Ship got closer and closer to Tetra's vessel until Link could see some of the details of scars or marks on the bokoblins' faces. Below, Tetra was examining every bit of both ships, the number of enemies and even looking at the sun, as if checking to see how much time there was.

On the Black Ship, the bokoblins began to gather at the edge of the boat, all of them were holding ropes, it looked like there would be no need for the cannons. One particularly well-dress bokoblin approached the head of the multitude. Wearing a fashionable blue captain's hat with a feather in it and a royal blue coat jacket, he grinned at Tetra rather mockingly.

"Ahoy, little cap'n!" He sneered, "Out for a cruise, little matey? Or are ya looking for a new dolly ta steal?" He laughed and his other pirates laughed with him rather loudly. Tetra didn't react, she was not amused, "After all," the bokoblin continued, "what else would a little wench like you be out on the lonely seas fer?"

Tetra raised a brow, "Captain Ghashar," she declared calmly, "You seem to be running into me a lot lately." She grinned, narrowing her eyes, "So much, in fact, that one would think that you are stalking me." Putting her arm on the rim and leaning professionally she added, "I guess you too can't resist my good looks."

_So... that's the 'Ghashar' they were talking about earlier,_ Link thought, he had to admit, Ghashar was quite frightening to look at and the fact he could talk impressed Link. Bokoblins on Outset never really spoke, they just growled, screeched, yelped, and hissed. Continuing to watch the conversation, Link noticed some of Tetra's pirates beginning to get into their positions and drawing their own weapons and glaring threateningly at their opponents.

Ghashar was not amused by Tetra's comments either, "I'm tired of you, little girl. There is no place for ye in the seas! Why should a terror like me be outdone by a filthy little runt like you!?" He said angrily, it was obvious that he was jealous over Tetra's 'prestige' as the most feared pirate of the seas. Ghashar wanted that title and yet he was just not as terrifying as a twelve-year old girl, "I'm ready for ye this time! Ye won't be able to avoid defeat, Tetra! I will win this time!"

Tetra rolled her eyes and said rather boringly, "You always say that."

Apparently, albeit, Ghashar didn't hear her; for at that very moment he yelled, "Let's go, mateys! Board the ship!" There was a loud roar of approval and acknowledgment from the crowd of bokoblins behind him. Thus, they all swung on their ropes onto Tetra's ship and the battle began.


	6. Chapter 5: A Swordsman Unveiled

Chapter 5: A Swordsman Unveiled

Gnashing their teeth as they swung across, the bokoblin pirates boarded Tetra's ship in vast numbers. Each of them drew their knives, swords, daggers, any bladed object they could find to inflict as much pain as possible to Tetra, Gonzo or the others. Link didn't know how the pirates were supposed to fight them all; none of them, however, looked scared or nervous, not even Niko.

Immediately, a group of bokoblins dashed for Tetra, all of them growling, yelping, and hissing at her, quickly encircling the young pirate captainess. Gonzo and the others tried to reach her, but other groups of Ghashar's raiders had already reached and surrounded Tetra's men. Link got ready to jump out of the crow's nest to help them, but he stopped and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

Tetra was holding her own position; because of her small size, she could easily dodge, roll, or jump out of the way of any sword while returning a stinging stab or slice from her own curved dagger. Completely unwounded or scarred, Tetra rolled out of the circle of bokoblins, jumped up and stabbed one in the back, killing the creature within moments.

Jumping off the creature's back while deflecting off a couple of slashes with her dagger, Tetra spun over in the air and threw her hand down. It took Link a few moments to realize that she had tossed a handful small throwing knives at the group of bokoblins, at least half of them hitting their targets and a third of those hitting vital spots on a couple of them; they died within seconds.

On the other side, Zuko and Mako were successfully beating back Ghashar's forces. Zuko's techniques revealed the ferocity of his fighting style. His hits were strong and merciless, but they were slower and not as efficient as Tetra's; that was partly because Zuko was wielding a short saber which was heavier than the dagger Tetra used.

Mako, however, was the most surprising fighter, he used his heavy books to fend off the bokoblins. Quite humorous and at the same time amazing, many of the bokoblins were suffering from heavy concussions after their bouts with the short pirate genius. Link smiled as he saw Mako smack a bokoblin behind him in the face with a mathematics book.

Gonzo was fighting in the way Link had imagined a pirate to fight; even more relentless than Zuko, Gonzo's scimitar slashed through small ranks of careless bokoblins. Even the wooden, rectangular shields that the bokoblin pirates had made could not withstand a single swing from the pirate's well-made sword.

One of Ghashar's raiders came up silently and quickly behind Gonzo and attempted to cut him down. Suddenly, the creature's yellow eyes went wide as it screeched for a moment and feel over on the ground. Nudge, flinging his long hair into the air flamboyantly, stood triumphant over the fallen bokoblin and carrying his own scimitar.

Over by the helm, Senza was handling a group of the vile creatures rather well. _Perhaps 'holding' them is a better word_, Link thought amusingly. Indeed, Senza was choking at least four bokoblins, two to each arm in a tight unfriendly bear hug. He was the largest and the strongest of the pirates and so he needed no weapon but his own hands.

Link was absolutely amazed, Tetra and her pirates were outnumbered, but it was obvious that they were much more skilled. Each pirate was at least taking three enemies on average, with the exception of Niko, who could barely take one. Standing there, Link saw the swabbie shake his sword fearfully in front of one of the bokoblins,before Nudge had to keep pull the swabbie out of trouble.

Tetra was probably the most amazing of the seven. Being the most agile, she would use any opening through ranks of bokoblins to her advantage, often knocking down a couple and cutting their throats quickly and accurately. Link had blink his eyes twice when he saw Tetra back flip over the head of a bokoblin, slicing its skull down the middle as she went over.

Ghashar's pirates had already lost over half their raiders—some of Tetra's pirates had stopped fighting to toss bodies overboard before they began to decay—and were beginning to back away to the rail. Although they were growling and hissing savagely, there was fear in the eyes of the raiders, fully knowing that they were losing.

Tetra had a triumphant smile on her face; the other pirates had finished throwing the bodies overboard and joined her in surrounding the remaining bokoblins. "Well," Tetra said with confidence in her voice, "it looks like I win again, Ghashar, now you better get..." she stopped suddenly and her smile vanished as she looked at the bokoblin captain.

Link raised a brow and looked at Ghashar, too. The enemy captain was grinning rather smugly for someone who had been defeated. Suspicion entered into Link's heart and mind as he watched, _Why is he smiling?_ he thought, _I don't understand, he lost!_ He continued to watch silently as Ghashar let out a quiet laugh.

"Stupid little girl..." He said, "You haven't won... you can't even move." He grinned, before Tetra could respond, a large bokoblin came up behind her and bound her hands together. The other pirates dashed to help her, but they fell over onto the ground finding their own hands and feet bound.

_Those bokoblins were a distraction_! Link thought horridly; as Ghashar had spoke to Tetra, a group of large bokoblins—who were obviously high-ranking pirates in Ghashar's group because of the clean and well-made clothes they wore—had sneaked up behind Tetra and the pirates and bound them slowly and quietly so they did not notice them nor their roped bonds. These bokoblins were larger and more muscular than any bokoblin Link ever had seen in his life.

"What is this!?" She shouted angrily, "h-how?" It was evident that Tetra had not planned for this.

Ghashar laughed again, "Pathetic wench, ye never thought me capable of such tactics." He grinned viciously, "always thinkin' that ye were smarter than me. Aye. I know your weakness, Tetra." Eyes blazing yellow fire, Ghashar walked over and spat at her, "If if ye don't plan fer it, ye can't handle it, matey. My elite pirates here, who tied ye and your crew up, were trained for this. Now, I can get rid of ye and be the most feared pirate in the Seas!"

Tetra snorted, trying to act tough, but Link could see how frustrated she was; her body was shaking with anger. She could not move since her feet were bound as she stood there by the elite who had tied her hands earlier. Moving her eyes about franticly, she scanned the area for any chance of escape.

"Oh no, little matey." Ghashar said smugly, "You're not going down with the ship. You're going to die first." He looked at Gonzo and others and snorted, "After all, without ye, these men would be nothing more than sharkbait." Turning back to Tetra he added, "but... I'll give ye a chance, join my crew, Tetra and I'll let ye young pretty wench live. Beauty 'tis a bad thing to waste in the Seas." He stated, eying her hungrily.

Tetra smiled and answered saying, "Go drown yourself in the Sea, you loser."

"Yer compass is a bit off methinks, but go in the direction ye wish, even if it be straight to death." Ghashar answered, "Kill them, but kill the girl first." Tetra looked up in shock and Gonzo and the others struggled angrily.

_No..._ Link thought, _This is it, I have to move!_ Grabbing a rope, Link swung out of the crow's nest in a heroic fashion, letting out a combat yell as he swung. Ghashar and the others looked up to see Link swinging and yelling down... in the wrong direction. Link's battle cry turned into a cry of surprise as he smashed into the cabin wall.

Everyone winced as Link's body slid down the wall and onto the ground, Tetra let out a groan, "I cannot believe he just did that..." If she could free her hands, she would have put her face into them, "Why me?"

Gonzo shuffled over on the ground to Tetra as best he could and whispered to her, "We're dead, ain't we?"

"Yep." Tetra said hopelessly, "As if he could really fight," she added, gritting her teeth in frustration. _Dang it! I can't die here!_ she thought, _I must get the Ocarina of Time, somehow... if I don't..._ She shook her head, not wanting to think about it.

Ghashar, getting over the surprise of Link's arrival, let out a guffaw, "And what does this be, girl? Backup in case ye lost?" Snorting he said, "I thought ye were smarter than that, Tetra. But don't worry, he'll be easy to take care of." He added, grinning rather wickedly.

Tetra felt a burning anger overcome her. Link had no place here, he would be an innocent, dying at Ghashar's hands, his blood on her hands for the rest of her life. The kid was stupid, in Tetra's opinion, but he was still a kid. He did not deserve death at such a young age.

But Link wasn't finished yet, getting up, he shook his head furiously. Slightly dizzy, Link turned around to face Ghashar and the others. _Stay calm,_ he thought, realizing that he could use his error to his own advantage,_ don't draw your sword yet, let them think you're harmless_. Hopefully, Ghashar and his men would think the sword was a toy because of Link's mistake.

Ghashar motioned to two of the lesser bokoblin raiders and said, "Get rid of the 'hero' while I get rid of Tetra here." He grinned mercilessly, "Kill the boy any way ye want, I don't care, as long as he's dead." Turning to Tetra he noticed her face contorted in anger, "Oh? What's this? Ye don't want the boy to die?"

"He's an islander!" Tetra spat angrily, "He has no part in this, let him live."

There was a loud noise of collective laughter from Ghashar and his raiders. The bokoblin pirate captain eyed Tetra and said, "Aww... now, ain't that cute, mateys? She cares about the poor boy." In found realization, the bokoblins began to mock her and to laugh at her, "And he's just about yer age, perfect couple.."

"Not like that you pervert!!" Tetra bellowed, seething with anger.

"Oh please... ye needn't lie..." Ghashar said knowingly, "After all, why would ye care even care about the little drip?" His smile widened to his pointy ears, "Unless, of course, you've been enjoying yerself with 'im in yer cabin, Tetra." There was a chorus of obscene whistles from Ghashar's group, "Didn't ye say us men can't 'resist your good looks', aye?"

Tetra didn't respond, she was not going to give Ghashar the satisfaction of an outburst. She was very offended, however, at the idea that she could even like the kid. Granted, he wasn't ugly, but she also found Link to be an extreme annoyance.

"Now then..." he said with finality in his voice, "Let's finish ye off nice and quick!"

-S-

Calming himself and remembering Orca's words to him, Link got ready as the two bokoblins approached him. Both of them were grinning at him, feeling completely superior to him. Link's plan was working, the raiders were overconfident and were underestimating him; they would pose no real threat.

He felt nervous, these bokoblins were more dangerous than the ones he had faced on Outset, he had to live. He had to save the pirates; he owed them his life in any case. Looking over, he saw Ghashar talking and heard him said how he was going to kill Tetra quickly. A sudden, irrational surge of courage filled Link; he wanted to protect her, he wanted to protect all of them. Now, he was fully determined not to die.

Suddenly, one of the bokoblins dashed at Link, drawing a large saber and slashing at him with a loud growl. Link sidestepped, avoiding the attack by a inch. Slightly surprised, but not shaken, the creature slashed out at him again, this time vertically at Link's body. There was a loud clash as he brought up his shield to block the creature's attack.

The noise had caught everyone's attention, Ghashar, looking slightly perplexed, turned and yelled, "What are ye doing!? Kill the darn boy!" Again, the raider quickly slashed at Link; the islander dodged it easily. Slash. Block. Slash. Block. Slash. Dodge. Slash. Sidestep. Over and over again, Link avoided and deflected the raider's attacks, the raider's face growing more and more frustrated with every attempt.

Ghashar, being very impatient, screamed, "Kill him you idiot!!" But then he stopped, because he saw that Link was smiling.

"Don't underestimate me," He said confidently. The bokoblin stopped when he saw the islander's smile and a look of fear flickered on its face for a moment. Yet it was only a moment, as Link slammed his shield into the bokoblin's stomach, making it fall over.

Everyone's eyes went wide, Tetra's jaw had dropped as low as it could possibly go and the pirates were staring with open mouths. The bokoblin got up, growled and suddenly lunged at Link. Not even trying to aim, the raider slashed over and over again fiercely, just trying to hit him and deal a fatal blow.

But it was in vain, Link used the bokoblin's anger and frustration to his advantage, dodging the strikes with ease. Luring the creature to the railing of the deck, Link suddenly slid under and brought his shield up fast into the bokoblin's stomach again. Lifting it up, Link used his shield to toss the raider overboard and into the water depths between the two ships. He then turned to face the raiders and Ghashar again; with his sword sheathed to keep the mask of its authenticity on.

The other bokoblin had backed away, but Ghashar eyes flared at him, "He's a boy, ye coward!" He snarled, "If yer so scared, get one of yer mates to help ya, yarr!" The bokoblin nodded and grabbed another one of Ghashar's pirates, this one had a greenish tint in its skin, as opposed to the other, who was purple.

Ghashar snorted at Link, "A bit surprising for a whelp, matey," grinning, he added, "but a kid is still a kid, yarr." The two bokoblins approached Link, this time more cautiously since they knew he was dangerous. Slowly, they began to encircle him, and Link watched their movements carefully.

The first dashed at Link, attempting to distract him as the second came up behind, they began to attack at the same time; Link would not manage to fend them them off. The shield only was not enough, for he could not knock one of the bokoblins over because the other would immediately slash at him with its sword. The pirates had flanked him, blocking the islander from any point of escape. Link had no choice now but to strike back.

At that moment, both of the bokoblins dashed at him, hoping to strike together and finish him off. They reached him and there was a sudden yell combined with the sounds of clanging and swinging, as blood flew into the air.

Bokoblins stumbled backwards; both were wounded across the chest. Standing in front of them, was Link with his sword drawn and raised behind him with his shield in front of him. It had happened so fast, Tetra barely realized what he had done, and when she did, she was amazed.

What had happened was, as the raiders were about to strike Link, he quickly drawn and brought his sword behind his back and spun around with it in his left hand with the point outwards and slashed both bokoblins across the chest. That type of technique was extremely difficult to do, even for an experienced swordsman.

A bit shocked and a little more frightened at the realization that Link's sword was real, the raiders began to back off, trying to recalculate their assault. It would be more challenging now; the raiders were at a disadvantage now, as their opponent was unwounded.

"Dang..." Gonzo whispered to Tetra, his tone shown that he was clearly impressed with Link, "I didn't think some kid could do that. I thought he was sharkbait." He looked at Tetra and continued, "Maybe you should try an' escape, eh, Miss? He's keepin' the enemy distracted, but there is no way he can win on his own."

Tetra turned to him and nodded, "Right," she whispered back to him, "stay still and wait for me to free myself. I'll then free the rest of you. Remember, don't move even if your bonds are broken until I tell you to!" She ordered, Gonzo nodded firmly. At this point, Tetra went to work as discreetly as she could, keeping an eye on the battle. With a small knife, she began to loosen the ropes on her wrists. She hoped Link would distract them long enough to escape.

The bokoblins were frustrated, they could not flank him because he could just spin around again with his sword and they dared not attack him head on, considering he could use his shield to knock one over and his sword to impale the other. The raiders were loosing their advantage over the young warrior now.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Link asked curiously, he didn't give them time to finish though, "Alright... then I'll attack!" He said, sounding rather childish, yet bold. Immediately he dashed at the one with green skin with his sword raised.

Tetra couldn't believe it, after the excellent moves Link had pulled, he was pulling the dumbest move she had ever seen. The attack opened his back to the other bokoblin, making him vulnerable. Sure enough, the purple bokoblin circled around and advanced on the boy's undefended side. The raider was going to stab him in the back while he was busy handling the green skinned one.

As Link reached the bokoblin, the raider struck out at him vertically. Easily parrying the blow, Link returned the strike for one of his own. The blades clanged loudly, slamming together as the raider parried successfully against the attack successfully. The purple-skinned bokoblin came up behind Link and raised his blade up, preparing to stab him in the back.

Suddenly, Link dropped to the ground and rolled swiftly around the green-skinned bokoblin. Quickly getting up and jumping upwards, Link took out his sword and spun around with yell, striking the bokoblin across the back and then slamming his shield down upon it, knocking it over.

Shocked at this display of speed, the purple-skinned bokoblin stepped over his comrade and chased after a retreating Link, who as he reached the mast, grabbed onto it and swung himself around, avoiding another strike from the raider's scimitar, and coming behind the bokoblin. Jumping up, Link stabbed the creature in the back, killing it within moments.

The green-skinned one had pushed himself up and wanted his revenge. Screeching and growling at Link, he dashed for the boy, slashing wildly. Dodging, blocking and parrying the attacks, Link locked his sword with the bokoblin's and began to twist his arm around, trying to make the bokoblin loose its grip on the scimitar.

It worked. He knew it had worked when the bokoblin let out a yelp and dropped the sword. The creature growled and began to back away from Link, but it was too slow because Link suddenly dashed at the bokoblin and rammed his shield into the creature's chest. The impact was so sudden and so powerful that the raider was sent failing over the rim of the deck and into the water.

Ghashar grinded his teeth together, "Well... it looks like we got ourselves a problem here... eh, shipmates?" He turned and looked behind him to some ten rather well-dressed blue-skinned bokoblins standing by. They all had much higher quality looking scimitars than the regular raiders and their jackets were made of much more fine materials. The only pirate of them that had better was Ghashar himself, though, Link noticed for the first time that Ghashar didn't seem to carry a sword with him.

"I know at least two of ye can handle him." He said to the first two in the group, they looked at him slowly, without expression and then nodded, "I thought so." He pointed to Link, "Now get the little blighter and show no mercy."

The bokoblins nodded again and approached Link very slowly, as if they were not intimidated by him. Drawing their scimitars, which were clean and very sharp looking, the raiders began to circle him. Ghashar began to laugh and explained, "Ye may notice that these ones are more disciplined than the rest." He nodded, "That's because these mates of mine are part of me best men, my Elites."

_Elites, huh?_ Link thought, he actually didn't like the sound of them, but it didn't matter, I_ have to beat them anyway, especially if I want to get out of this._ Still, the Elites didn't seem a bit frightened. What was strange, or perhaps even disturbing was the fact that they didn't seem a bit confident either, it was like they were emotionless.

Then Link realized it; these pirates were definitely skilled—since advanced and master swordsmen, or even fighters—never showed their emotion in combat. Link was skilled, sure, but he didn't think he was skilled enough to take two Elites on, they were just too calm for what they had seen him do to the other raiders.

They continued to circle him, on any moment, one of them could strike and wound Link if he chose to. Then, they could just continue to circle him for who knew how long and repeat the process until the kid was dead. Suddenly, the one behind Link dashed at him, drawing out his sword swiftly and striking.

There was another clang as Link turned around quickly and parried the blow. Without warning, the other Elite Pirate struck at the boy, who only barely managed to block the attack with his shield in time. Unfortunately, the Elites seemed unshaken by this and they began to attack again, only faster this time.

They kept Link on edge and they struck swiftly and accurately. Blocking as many attacks as his could, he realized with despair, that the Elite Pirates were not in the least frustrated, they were patient. Link was a child and had less stamina than the Elites, he would not last too long against them.

But the young warrior would not allow himself to be so beaten so easily; Link decided to try an offensive stance against the Elites. Rolling between an Elite's legs, he got out of the circle and quickly slashed at the Elite's back. Too late, the Elite's sword came up and blocked the blow, while the other moved quickly to encircle Link again.

_Oh no you don't!_ Link thought, gritting his teeth, he wouldn't let them take him into the circle again. Instead, he swung himself around the Elite he was facing and slashed at his backside, but Link did not intend to hit. The Elite, thinking that Link was trying to damage him, spun around and brought his sword up to parry, but the blade did not meet the other.

Instead, he felt a sharp stinging in his left side. Looking over, he saw that the cunning kid had stabbed the Elite in his left side while he was trying to defend against the nonexistent attack. The Elite let out a roar and slashed his own blade at Link, who managed to dodge it, barely.

_Crap,_ he thought, _They're still focusing their attacks!_ Indeed, they were; even enraged and wounded, the Elite Pirates still aimed their attacks carefully, it was obvious that Link would have to win by skill rather than by enraging the enemy. The other Elite came up behind Link and slashed horizontally. Carefully ducking the blow, Link rolled up and slammed his feet into the wounded Elite's stomach, sending him stumbling back a bit.

Link then jumped up and spun around, swinging his blade around in hopes of hit. It didn't work, the Elite jumped back to avoid the edge of his young opponent's sword. Rushing forward, the Elite Pirate pulled his own fake, by pretending to slash downwards onto Link's head, but then sidestepping to pull a deadly horizontal slice. Link struggled to bring his shield up in time to hear the Elite's blade scrapping against it.

The wounded one took the opportunity to flank Link and strike at him. Then, he did something amazing that shocked and awed Tetra and the pirates as she was busy freeing them, Link back-flipped over the blade of the Elite's scimitar to avoid it. While it looked like a stunt, the boy had figured that the Elite had swung too low for him to duck and the other, still unwounded, Elite had been preparing another attack, making a side-dash evasion too risky; back-flipping had been Link's only option.

Landing on the ground, Link quickly caught his breath, "Geez, you guys are really good." He said, complimenting them, "Really good at not letting your emotions force your tactics." It was obvious that the Elites were frustrated at how difficult it was to get him. They smiled though, as in thanks for the compliment, but the smile also seemed to say, "but we have to kill you now."

Link also agreed; for the fight was taking too long, but he wasn't going to lose, he decided it was time to stop going so easy on them, even though they were giving him quite a rough time. He made the attack this time and dashed at them yelling viciously like he was in war.

Jumping into the them, he began to slash in all directions franticly, but each slash was not a random strike. He moved his sword and aimed it for certain areas of the Elites' bodies. A bit surprised by his sudden courage, both Elite Pirates suffered blows to the arms, waists and legs.

Splitting apart from each other, the Elites tried to flank Link again and close in on both sides. This time, the young warrior was ready, bringing his sword behind him in preparation and as the Elites came to him, Link released his sword and spun around several times, hitting accurately. The Elite Pirates stumbled back and fell over, now heavily wounded. They had not expected the boy to try another spin attack, most swordsmen found that even a single spin attack was draining; it seemed like Link had a lot more stamina than other kids had.

Taking the one on his left, Link dashed to him and began to attack. The Elite was up and ready with his scimitar and as the young warrior came up to him, he slashed at Link, still focusing his attacks and not letting his frustration and fear get the better of him.

However, Link continued to dodge and block the attacks; he was getting used to the Elite's style of fighting and he began to predict their attacks. First, Link struck at the Elite horizontally, then to distract and surprise him, the twelve-year old boy spun around completely and brought his sword onto the Elite's other side.

Knocking the creature back, Link used a finishing technique. Jumping up, holding his sword with two hands and bringing it back behind his head, he brought the sword down to the ground as he touched it and sliced the Elite Pirate down the middle, killing him.

The last Elite—the wounded one—looked on fearfully; moments ago, they had been keeping the kid at bay, but now, this young child had killed his companion and had gained the advantage. Unless Ghashar sent assistance, the Elite Pirate felt that he was doomed. Even so, the Elite feared for his life and began to back away. He did not realize that Link was very forgiving, in fact, the young warrior was sure he had gotten the point across and he did not see the need to kill the other Elite Pirate.

Unfortunately, Ghashar had about eight other Elites and maybe about ten regular raiders left with him, Link didn't see how he could win to this. Ghashar was stunned and surprised at this little child who could defeat one of his best pirates. But he still had the numbers and then, there was himself.

Ghashar grinned, "Yer a good fighter, but I don't play fair, kid," he let out a laugh, "Ye don't have any chance against all of us."

Link had admit it, he had no chance against them, but what else could he do? He had already attacked and even killed many of the bokoblins, he couldn't back down now, but he was running out of ideas. There was no way he could ever face those remaining eighteen raiders, not counting Captain Ghashar himself.

Turning to his remaining pirates, Ghashar said, "The kid's free for any of ya who want to take 'em! I recommend you all do, just finish him and then we can get on with our original job." The pirates each drew their swords and raised them in the air with a victorious roar from the group.

"I don't think so, Ghashar!" said a voice from the side, all of pirates and Ghashar looked and their jaws dropped, Tetra was standing, freed from her bonds, and grinning mischievously, "Good distraction, Link." she applauded the boy, "gave me time to free myself. I think you're finished, Ghashar."

Ghashar sneered, "Oh please! Yer about as much help to him, as a fly is to a shark, little matey!" The pirates "yarred" their agreement, "Ya'll never win, Tetra! Though you make it easier, I can finish ye off with the boy!"

But Tetra merely laughed, "I never said that I'd be the only one helping him." Placing two of her index fingers in her mouth, she whistled loudly; that was the signal. Immediately, Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Zuko, Mako, and Niko all got up and drew their weapons (except Senza, who preferred to use his fists). They had been pretending that they had been bound, apparently Tetra had freed them.

Tetra drew her own dagger, herself silhouetted against the setting sun in the west, her blue eyes almost glowing with victory. The other pirates stood by her, ready to fight and shed blood—their enemies' blood—onto the deck, "You're finished, Ghashar!"

Link felt energized and readied himself with Orca's sword in his left hand and his grandmother's shield in his right. All the weariness had left from his body and spirit. Suddenly, the wounded Elite that Link had fought earlier, had crawled over to the edge of the deck and dove over.

"One man down, Ghashar," Tetra said snidely, "and we haven't even done anything yet." Although they had the advantage, they had to fight fast, the wind was picking up with more strength and the chance to get to Outset would be lost if they fought too long.

Ghashar began to back down, "We'll see, yer mateys are no match for my Elites! I still have plenty of shipmates on board!" He was trying to scare Tetra and the pirates, but it was not working. In fact it had the opposite effect, Ghashar was becoming more frightened by the minute.

Link felt courage flowing through his veins and he shouted, "Go back to where you came from! You're not welcome here!" Tetra and the others looked at him, slightly surprised, but then they smiled at him approvingly. Ghashar growled at Link, infuriated at his defiance of the proud pirate captain.

He looked at his Elites and the remaining raiders with a last order, "Kill them, kill all of them!" The bokoblins all cried out in favor of him and turned to Tetra and her pirates to attack and they did. Dashing into Tetra's group, they began slashing madly, the Elites followed behind the raiders, being careful to focus their attacks, unlike the raiders who had no real strategy.

The pirates faired well, Tetra was keeping an Elite Pirate at bay with her curved dagger. Ducking, weaving and flipping, she kept well out of his blows and returned some of her own, inflicting damage upon him. Tetra seemed to avoid parrying, which was intelligent because her small dagger could not deflect the attack of the powerful and well-crafted scimitar of an Elite. This was apparent when the Elite slashed horizontally at her and she had to dodge the assault by moving around the mast, barely missing the blade as it slammed into the wood mast, creating a long thin dent.

Gonzo, however was strong enough to handle an Elite's blows and even struck blows that gave the Elite a run for his rupees. Senza was off alone, handling two or three bokoblin raiders at once. Foolishly thinking that he could handle the massive bear-like Senza, an Elite rushed over to stab him when Senza threw the half-choking bokoblins on top of the Elite, crushing him in an entangled bokoblin pile.

Nudge was handling himself well, like Gonzo. His technique was different though, being as flamboyant as he was, Nudge tended to strike fast, short blows that were a little graceful and like a dance. The dance, however, did not have a predictable pattern, making it difficult for the Elite he was facing to keep up with his motions and movements.

Niko, Zuko and Mako had all gathered together to keep their strength in numbers. The bokoblins' underestimates of the damage that Mako's books would do were again demonstrated as one after the other tried to attack him a little to close, only to find a old book cover smashed into its face. Zuko struck with hard slashes, creating heavy wounds to legs and feet of the raiders and Niko, as scared as he was, managed to stab weakly a knocked over Elite in the chest. The pirates were still outnumbered, though.

Link dashed over to assist, but Ghashar stepped forward and blocked his path, "I don't think so, matey. Yer going to fight with me." One of his Elites was with him and Ghashar looked at him, and then nodded. The Elite handed him a scimitar in a well-made leather scabbard adorned with gold and rubies, Link was awed as he saw the jeweled golden hilt of the blade of the high-quality sword.

This was Ghashar's weapon, "Me finest blade," he grinned, "I usually save this one for warriors like ye. Prepare yerself, boy!" Ghashar drew out the shining curved blade of the scimitar and pointed it at Link.


	7. Chapter 6: Return to Windfall

Chapter 6: Return to Windfall

Readying his own blade, Link approached Ghashar, never moving his eyes away from the bokoblin captain. The moment was tense, each waiting for the other to make a move, almost daring the other to even try. It was finally when Ghashar spoke that the tension broke.

"Yer a strong kid..." he said with a voice of slight praise, "There aren't many men or women who were even close to be worthy of a duel with me." Keeping his sword pointed at Link he continued, "Ya've caused me a lot of trouble. Killed quite a few of me men and even took out one of my Elites and wounded the other severely." He nodded curtly, "Yer the first that I've known of to actually get this far. So don't think I'll underestimate ye! I've done that enough for today. Now, let's begin, boy!"

Ghashar swung his sword upwards and pointed to the sky. He began to circle slowly, Link followed his motions around, keeping his sword and shield at the ready for any attack. Then Ghashar made his move.

It was a swift attack; had Link blinked at that time he would have missed it and would have been slashed by Ghashar's sword. The pirate captain had twirled his sword between his fingers as a ruse to distract his opponent before suddenly sliding over to his left and dashing up to stab Link in the side. The boy backflipped out of the way in time, only barely since Ghashar's tactic had almost worked; Link had been caught by the ruse for a mere second or two.

Ghashar did not stop using the tactic albeit; he brought up his sword, twirling it again in his fingers, and slashed out at Link; there was a loud clang as the boy brought his shield up in defense. Sidestepping, Link took the offensive this time and attempted to make a quick stab at Ghashar's side. Too slow—the bokoblin captain brought his scimitar down pushing Link's blade away.

Moving back and luring Link down the deck, Ghashar proceeded to slash and hack away at Link while parrying return blows from his opponent. Both exchanged well-made parries and attacks, worthy of advanced swordsmen duels.

Moving across the cabin, Ghashar suddenly grabbed the handle of the cabin door and opened it. Using the door as a large shield to fend away Link's attacks, Ghashar was free to stab and slash away at him from behind the barrier. It took Link only seconds to realizing he was fighting a door and then swung around to the back and pounced on Ghashar.

Slamming the door to make loud, distracting noise, Ghashar attempted to slice Link down the middle, but the young warrior reacted quickly and raised his sword above his head to counter the attack. Quickly, Ghashar proceeded to slash on Link's side horizontally and then the other as Link parried each attack, he felt himself backing up as Ghashar began to advance.

Between the loud clings and clangs of the swords bashing together, Ghashar spoke to him, "Not bad, yer very difficult to distract; always a good tactic—trying ta distract yer opponent." Coming up on the mast, Ghashar spun around it to the other side trying to attack the boy from behind.

Link aware of this and managed to duck out of the scimitar's path as he jumped up into the air, spinning with his sword flying heavenwards. Ghashar put his sword on his face to block swinging blade and brought his sword down in a quick slash. Link parried it and locked his sword with the captain's.

Bad move, it was an area Link just could not beat Ghashar in—strength. Ghashar was older and stronger, he could easily trap the boy's sword and wring it from his grasp if Link was not careful. Breaking from the lock, Link back-flipped twice to gain more ground, the area between the rim and the mast was very crowded and had given him little room to move.

Then Ghashar dashed forward, Link took the opportunity to swing around and roll around behind the bokoblin pirate captain. As soon as he was behind him, Link got to his feet and shot up into the air with his blade twirling upwards. A loud clang told him he had failed as Ghashar parried the blow in time.

Slashing and parrying, Link and Ghashar moved across the deck back and forth over and over again, Ghashar grinned, "Who taught ya?" He asked rather curiously, "It ain't common to see a kid fight like this. I don't even think Tetra is this difficult!" They slammed their swords together loudly and jumped back from each other.

"The master in my village taught me." Link responded, "Taught me everything I know." They began to circle each other again, "I've been practicing since I was a little kid. I don't remember how old." He found himself smiling—he didn't know why, but Ghashar was being very friendly for someone who was so aggravated at Link. It made him think that perhaps Ghashar was not completely evil. _Maybe he's just jealous of Tetra?_ Link mused, _but he did try to kill her, or he at least intended to. And, he's kinda sick-minded. But still, he seems too good-natured to be evil._

"So he taught you..." Ghashar said with a grin, "I suppose that you thought to enter the tournament in the mainland." He let out a hearty laugh, "I used to enter in that. Never won though. If you need a sponsor, I might be willing to give ya some help. Being an islander like you are, ya probably don't have any money on ya. So what do ye say?"

It was a tempting offer and Link did think about it for a bit; however, he kept his guard up in case this was a trick. It might make it easier on him if he accepted the offer, but he could not trust Ghashar, nor Tetra; yet he felt like he trust her more than him.

"I can't. I don't know you and I can't trust you." He answered, shaking his head.

Ghashar merely shrugged, slightly disappointed, "Then I guess I can't help ya, matey." At that moment, Ghashar leaped up and brought his sword down upon Link. He intended to miss in order to surprise the kid and then raised his scimitar up to slash Link in two.

Link brought up his sword to parry, but the blow was so hard that it knocked his sword out of his hand and forced Link to the ground. With only his shield to defend him, Link had to act fast, rolling out of the way of Ghashar's sword. Link got up and dashed for his own blade that was laying there on the deck.

Ducking a strike from Ghashar, Link reached out for his sword. At that moment, the bokoblin captain was in front of him and swung down onto him. Bringing up his shield, Link blocked his opponent's attacks.

Ducking again to grab his sword, the boy saw that Ghashar had kicked the blade behind him. _Dang it!_ Link thought, agitated at Ghashar's foul play, _He isn't playing fair_! Of course, this wasn't a tournament and there were no rules, the pirate captain was using any method he could to defeat Link. _So, this isn't a real duel. Fine then, I'll just use my shield!_

Ghashar stood stubbornly in front of Orca's sword, not allowing Link any path to it and continuing to hack away at Link, aiming for the boy's tunic under the shield. Under the furry of blows, Link waited for a pause in Ghashar's attacks to counter him; and he did—Ghashar made the mistake of pausing to examine Link.

Instead, what he got to examine was the boy's shield as it slammed into his face. Stumbling backwards, the pirate captain could not guard the Link's blade. Rubbing his eyes and growling, Ghashar soon shook himself free of the dizziness and jumped forward; Link had only moments to spare. Rolling forward, he grabbed the hilt and then rolled sideways out of the way of Ghashar's falling scimitar. He rolled fast and stopped a good distance from the pirate captain.

Suddenly, he brought his sword up and felt the force from Ghashar's scimitar. Link didn't know how, but somehow, Ghashar had reached him in a split second and attacked. He was moving faster now and it was becoming difficult to parry, dodge and block Ghashar's attacks.

Left, right, up, down, the scimitar flew out like lightning in stabs, slashes and slices in all directions. Both warriors found themselves locked in close combat of skidding, sliding ducking, parrying and jumping as they both struggled to overcome each other, and it seemed that Ghashar had the upper hand.

But Link would not give up, he began to make more attacks and put Ghashar on the defensive. Soon, Link was alternating between attacking and defending in quick shifts; Ghashar barely slowed his attacks. One sweeping slash was followed by a downward thrust, both bouncing off Link's shield. Then they attacked together and locked their swords again.

_Oh no... not this again!_ Link thought as his arms shook with the force of holding his sword against Ghashar's. His eyes blazed with determination enough to rival the emotion in Ghashar's own eyes. Then Link grinned, he slid the sword quickly, while making a sudden push forward, bringing back his sword, he slammed into the scimitar, knocking it aside.

Ghashar was stunned for a split second, using that to his advantage, Link smashed his shield into the pirate captain's stomach, knocking him over. Backflipping and raising his sword, Link leaped forward and slammed his sword down upon the ground where Ghashar was.

Seeing his opponent's move, Ghashar rolled out of the way, "Nice try, matey!" he growled, but he didn't realize that he was being tricked; the boy didn't land on target. Instead, he landed early and intercepted Ghashar and slashed at him. The pirate captain saw clearly and brought his scimitar down to the ground at the right moment and pinned Link's sword into the deck.

Ghashar's grin faded as he saw a smile on Link's face, "W-what is.. gah!!" The captain began to ask, but his question turned into a scream as the boy side-jumped over, freed his sword from Ghashar's trap and stabbed the captain in the side. Ghashar fell over and slashed at Link furiously, but it was no use. Link parried and swung his sword down vertically. Bringing up his own sword, Ghashar suddenly realized that he made a mistake—he had thrust out his arm too far over.

He let out a scream and clutched his right arm, only to find that his right hand had been cut off in his careless mistake. The golden scimitar lay on the ground, the hilt stained in blood. Expecting another attack, Ghashar prepared for more pain, but it didn't come. He looked and saw Link standing there, his sword dripping with blood, staring at Ghashar in horror. It was obvious that Link did not intend to cut the bokoblin's hand off.

Everyone seemed to have stopped when Ghashar screamed and watched Link and the pirate captain with awed eyes. The bokoblin captain trembled a bit and said, "... Ye... ye wouldn't kill me, would ye?" He was afraid—sincerely afraid that he was going to slain.

Link shook his head, "I don't _want_ to kill anyone," he explained, "but if I have kill in order to save who I love, then I will take up my sword. Leave Tetra and the rest of her group alone, and don't bother them again. ... I forgive you." he added after a few seconds.

Ghashar sucked in the pain and grinned, "Y-yer good, kid..." He let out a low growl at the pain, taking out a handkerchief, Ghashar wrapped up his right stump and tied the ends together, "Y-ye win, m-matey. I-I admit my defeat. Ye... ye better enter that tournament!" He smiled, "I want to see that." Nodding curtly and wincing, he added, "Good luck to ye."

Then he suddenly dashed over and grabbed his scimitar and his hand. Link, thinking Ghashar was going to attack him, readied himself. But then he saw Ghashar run over to the other side of the deck, where some of his Elites were waiting with ropes to swing back across to their ship.

The pirate battle, for Ghashar's troops had not faired well. The bokoblin raiders had been reduced to a measly number of seven, and the Elites had been drained down to five. Although they still outnumbered Tetra and her pirates, they were beginning to retreat. In terms of skill, they just could not compete.

Ghashar swung over the side with his Elites and soon all of the remaining raiders followed suit and landed onto the ship, which had already begun to move away from Tetra's ship. The Black Ship was picking up a quick pace, due to the strength of the wind and was already sailing towards the horizon and the setting sun.

Tetra rushed the rim and took out her telescope to watch, "They're out of firing range already. Ghashar must be in a hurry." She turned around to see Link walking towards her, she blinked and stared at the blood on his sword, "Whoa... did you actually wound 'ol Ghashar? Not bad. What sword was he using?"

Link blinked, "Huh? Sword? He was using a scimitar with a golden hilt and with rubies set into the hilt." Link shrugged unconcernedly. However, he felt a breath of awe come from the pirates and he saw Tetra's eyes widen significantly, "What?" He asked, completely confused.

"That was Ghashar's dueling sword!" She exclaimed, "He only uses that sword against 'worthy' opponents. He's never even used that sword when I dueled him." She added with a somewhat jealous smile. Link still looked slightly confused, yet a bit surprised; Tetra continued to explain, "Ghashar has multiple swords at his disposal. The lesser quality the sword, the better chance he has of winning. He's very good at judging one's skill. But if he can't make a good judgment, he stands back and watches the person fight.

"You'll notice," She said, looking at Link intently, "That he sent a bunch of his thugs to fight you first." She pointed at him, "When you were able to defeat his Elites, he decided that he had to take care of you."

"But he was going to send all of his remaining raiders to kill me." Link countered, still a little confused, "He wasn't going to attack me originally."

Tetra laughed, "That's because the boys and I had freed ourselves and we distracted the raiders for you." Shrugging, she added, "So, he had to fight you himself, but you are one of the few people to ever fight against him with that sword. What it means is that Ghashar respects you as warrior and that he thought that you had an equal chance of beating him as he did against you." Clapping and smiling, Tetra said, "That is very impressive."

Link felt himself blush deeply, and the pirates began to cheer for him, all crying out his name. "Well... I'm not that good." He said sheepishly, "I mean, you said no one wins the first time in the tournament."

The young pirate captainess sighed, "Still thinking about that tournament, eh? Typical." She folded her arms and shook her head, "Very typical. Ghashar hasn't been in the tournament in a long time, so he's definitely rusty on his technique. Plus, Ghashar never made it to the Semi-finals, he's good, but there are a lot of other good people in the tournament. You wouldn't win, no."

Link nodded, "Well... I suppose you should take me back to Outset while the wind is still blowing." He felt depressed again, he had forgotten in the heat of battle that Tetra and the pirates were taking him home, at least he had an exciting story to tell his family and friends.

Tetra laughed again, "We can't, the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. We'll have to go to Windfall." She turned to Gonzo, "You hear me, matey? Turn the ship around and head for Windfall Island." She ordered, "We have little time!" Gonzo saluted her and went over to the helm.

"So, you're taking me with you?" Link asked before Tetra could give another order, "Aren't I going be in the way while you look for a swordsman?" The young pirate turned around suddenly and stared at him with the most surprised look, "What?"

"...Wow..." She said with a soft voice, utterly amazed, "Either you are really slow or really modest of yourself." She shook her head with a half-smile on her face, "We don't need a swordsman, just supplies before we go to the mainland." A look of hope shot onto Link's face, then Tetra added with a wink, "After all, we already have a swordsman."

"You mean..." Link paused, barely able to breathe from the excitement rushing through his body, "Y-you're going to... sponsor me!?" The question came out louder than he had expected and made Tetra and the others jump in surprise.

Regaining her composure, Tetra nodded, "Well, duh. After the way you fought against those Elites and Ghashar, I definitely think you can give us enough time to pull this raid off." She lifted a finger quickly and said, "But! Since you're going to be a part of our company for a bit, you must obey my orders. Understand, kid?"

"Aye-aye!" Link said with energy.

"Good!" Tetra said with a smile, "I like to hear that!" Turning to the rest of the pirates, she yelled, "Alright, mateys! Senza and Nudge, Set the sails and weigh anchor. Niko, get back to your duties in the lower deck. Mako, keep a watch on the main deck. Zuko and Link, take watch up at the crow's nest. Let's go, let's go!"

There was a chorus of "Aye-aye, Miss Tetra!"s from the pirates, they all scrambled to their spots and positions, while all giving Link a hearty pat on the back and a "good job, matey," before rushing to their duties. Senza's pat nearly knocked Link over, while Zuko punched him in the stomach teasingly. Gonzo gave him a thumb's up from the helm and Mako bowed to the young warrior.

Before Link went off to the crow's nest, he walked over to Tetra and asked, "Can I get my sword cleaned off first? It's really bloody from that fight with Ghashar." He added, noting the blood-covered blade.

Tetra nodded, "Sure, go down to the lower deck. Niko should have an extra bucket of water you can use to clean it off. Just be sure to dry it completely otherwise the blade will rust." She added cautiously, "And hurry in case Zuko falls asleep again." She said, a smile growing on her face.

Link thanked her and went down to the lower deck. There, he borrowed a bucket of water from Niko, who got it for Link very politely, and used it to clean the blood from his sword. After he was done, Link quickly and throughly dried the blade so that there wasn't any water left to rust it. Then, he helped the swabbie take the bucket up to the main deck to toss the blood-stained water overboard. After which Niko returned to the lower deck to wash while Link went up to the crow's nest to help Zuko keep watch.

The emotion in the air was much more jovial and anxious than before. Link's spirit jumped happily as the ship turned around slowly, the sails beginning to catch the rushing wind. As far as Link could tell, they were heading northeast from Outset, the wind rushed against his back and the ship flew through the orange-stained water towards Windfall island.

Even though they never found anything along the way, Zuko and Link kept watch with more enthusiasm than before; Zuko did not even fall asleep. To keep themselves entertained, they talked about various things, Link pushed for Zuko to tell him more about Tetra and the pirates' adventures.

"Well, we've had a quite few." Zuko said, "But first, I wanna know where ye learned to fight like that." Watching the seas with his telescope, Zuko added, "Then I'll tell ye about our adventures, alright matey?"

Link nodded, "Okay. I was taught by a man named Orca. He's the strongest warrior on Outset, which is really impressive because Orca is old enough to be my grandfather." He said with a chuckle, "But he is still really strong. He taught me everything I know about the sword. He said when I had become of age that he'd give me a sword of my own."

"Really? And is that sword ye have there, yer own?" Zuko asked, looking at the now-cleaned sword in its scabbard, strapped to Link's back.

He nodded, "Yeah. Today is my twelfth birthday and that's when boys become men on Outset Island." Pulling on his green tunic, Link explained, "The Legend of the Hero of Time is really important on our island, so when boys reach a certain age, they receive a green tunic and hat just like the one the Hero wore. They are now warriors and are expected to protect their families with courage that the Hero had."

"And ye got that old today, eh?" Zuko chuckled, "I never said it, but I'll say it now, Happy Birthday, kid." He said smiling at Link, who smiled back, "I'll guess that Orca gave ye that sword for yer birthday, today, aye?"

Link nodded, "Yeah... I was so happy. My grandmother gave me this shield to protect myself and..." he paused, looking at the red telescope, "And... my sister, my younger sister, Aryll, gave me her telescope. It's one of her favorite things." He felt a lurch in his stomach and tears began to stung his eyes as he thought of home. Zuko noticed this, but he didn't say anything for he knew Link was feeling homesick, "Then I left, my grandmother had made me a promise that when I was twelve, she'd let me go to the mainland to participate in the tournament."

Zuko nodded, "I see... well," he said consolidating, "There is always a time when the chicks have to leave their mother's nest in search of their own." He scratched his sideburns and continued, "In any case, ye fought well, like any fierce pirate would."

There was a long pause, the two were silent for a bit as they went over their own thoughts and memories. Link thought about his home, about Aryll in her blue outfit with the flowers on it. He thought about the shirtless Orca, training Link with his spear. He thought about Sturgeon studying a large book on his own. He thought about his grandmother and the kindness she had shown him and Aryll their whole lives.

Adjusting his skull-head belt, Zuko said, "Well, you wanted to hear about some of our adventures, aye?"

Link's face split into a smile and he nodded. Thus, Zuko told Link about various raids and adventures that he and the pirates had experienced. So many tales from earlier encounters with Ghashar to simple thievery to running from the Royal Family's Armada and soldiers. They were fun to listen to, though Link found it interesting that no one seemed to die in their adventures save a few of Ghashar's bokoblins, and how in every adventure, Tetra always came up with some genius plan that made all of their raids successful.

Zuko told Link of an especially humorous mission that he and the pirates had gone on. There was a Bomb shop in Windfall Island, but the owner was extremely cheap and put insane prices on the bombs in his shop, making it impossible for people to buy them. Tetra and the pirates had needed some bombs, but the shop owner wouldn't sell any to them. So Tetra came up with an idea.

At night, the pirates returned to the shop and sneaked around the side the building to the back where they entered a small ventilation opening. There, they tied up the bomb owner and took many of his bombs, while at the same time, forcing him to lower his prices. Everyone knew about it the next day, but the authorities overlooked the attack on the bomb owner because they were busy supplying the Hylian army with bombs that they couldn't afford before.

Link laughed at that story and he continued to listen to the stories that Zuko told him. With high spirits and a strong wind, the pirates continued to sail to Windfall, but no matter how fast they were going, the Sun would be too quick for them. It would be nightfall by the time they reached the small trading isle.

-S-

Tetra had retired to her cabin. Taking in recent events, she needed some privacy to think things over and had ordered Nudge not to let anyone disturb her for anything. Walking over to her desk, she sat down and began to write in her journal. She wrote down the events of the day, saving Link from the Whirlpool, her meeting with the pirates and the encounter with Ghashar.

There was a lot to write about, it had been quite a day for Tetra. One of the most dangerous, yet satisfying days she had experienced; it took her a few hours to write it all down in her journal. Sometimes, she had to erase something or add something that she suddenly remembered to the pages, but she remembered the day for the most part. When she finished, she signed the date and her name in the entry and closed the book.

Putting her Journal aside, Tetra began to muse, _Am I doing what is right?_ She thought, _The Ocarina of Time, it's the only object that if stolen, the thief could face a sentence as severe as death if convicted. I am taking a risk... but,_ She looked up with grim determination on her face, _I have to do it._

Then her thoughts turned to Link, she was curious about him. Brave and strong for his age, he had aroused curiosity from the point he had fought that day. Opening her desk, Tetra reached in and pulled out a poster that she had been given as a child. It shown a picture of a warrior in green, holding a sword into the air, behind him the Triforce could be seen. This was a picture of the Hero of Time.

_Could it be...?_ She thought, remembering a story she had heard as a child, _I'm not sure_. Looking the poster over for a long time, Tetra finally put it away and sighed, _I suppose I'll have to wait and see what happens. Though, I wonder if my dream has anything to do with this... It's possible, I've seen the future before in my dreams._ Trying to recall her dream, she had remembered that it had something to do with the Hero. At least that's what she thought, but she was so tired that she couldn't reclaim the dream fully.

Still thinking, Tetra got up and walked over to her bed, she guessed that the ship was getting close to Windfall now; for the ship felt like it was slowing down. Laying down in her bed, Tetra was very tired, but at the same time she dwelt on Link and what had happened that day; then she soon forgot herself as sleep overtook her.

-S-

It was night when they approached the Isle of Windfall. Link could see the lighthouse on top of the town. It was breath-taking even at night to see it. Link had never seen an isle where the entire thing was a town, save a small field on the outskirts. The windows on most of the buildings were dark. There were a few lights, but overall the isle was as quiet and as still as the night sky itself.

There was a quarter moon in the sky that evening, the only light besides the millions of stars. Off in the distance, the mountains of Hyrule, the mainland could be seen. Link remembered from his studies with Sturgeon that the mountains were called "Death Mountain", these days, that didn't make sense because it was a mountain range, but according to history, it was called "Death Mountain" because there was only one mountain at the time.

Link and Zuko went down to the main-deck to see what was going on. For some odd reason, Tetra couldn't be found anywhere on deck and Link wondered if something had happened to her. Walking over to helm, Link asked Gonzo if he had seen Tetra.

"Ah, don't worry about her," He said confidently, "Nudge told me that she went to her cabin for a little privacy. Oh! Look, matey! We're here, better throw the anchor overboard." He looked up and Link followed suit, Gonzo was right, they had arrived at Windfall and had stopped the ship in an alcove on the side of the isle.

Senza and Nudge had rolled up the sails and Zuko threw the anchor overboard, making a loud splash. Then there was only the sound of the ship floating on the waters. The pirates lowered a ramp to the ground and began to get off the ship.

Link rushed after them, "Wait a minute! What about Tetra?" He asked concernedly, "We aren't just going to leave her here, are we? I'm sure she wouldn't mind being bothered about this." The pirates turned around, looking slightly guilty.

Gonzo stepped forward, "She'll be fine without us." Then, he added rather quickly, "Besides, Nudge said that she doesn't want to be disturbed, so I think it's better that we leave her alone." The other pirates nodded vigorously.

But Link just shook his head, "Can't we at least check to make sure?" He was getting worried and he was very annoyed at the fact that Gonzo and the others seemed so keen to leave her alone on the ship, "Look, I'm going to go check if you don't come and-"

Gonzo waved at him franticly, "No, no no! Don't worry!" He said, trying to get Link to stop, but the boy ignored him and began to head to Tetra's cabin. Gonzo rushed up the ramp, the pirates following him, and cut Link off, "Okay... okay... we'll check up on her, okay?"

Link nodded and they opened the door and walked into the cabin. Moving past the stairs, Gonzo and the boy looked into Tetra's room. It was dark in there, but Link could make Tetra out on her bed—she was asleep, "Psst! Tetra!" Link whispered, immediately Gonzo pulled him away.

No!" He whispered, "Look, she's asleep, let's not bother her, okay?" Seeing the skeptical expression on Link's face, Gonzo added, "Look, she'd hate it if we woke her up so early. It'd be better if we left her to sleep."

"But..." Link protested, he didn't like the feeling he had about this.

"Come on, Link." Zuko, behind Gonzo said, trying to convince him, "We'll show ya the town, I'm sure you'd love to see that, even though its fairly late, there are still some things to do." The other pirates stared at Link, hoping that he would give in to their pleas and urgings.

After awhile, Link decided what he was going to do and said, "I'll stay behind then. You guys go out and do whatever, but I'm going to stay behind to make sure that Tetra will be alright." He noticed the expressions on their faces and said, "Look, it doesn't seem right to just leave her alone like this."

"Alright." Nudge said from the cabin door, "That's reasonable, but don't tell Miss Tetra, okay? She doesn't need to know." The other pirates nodded vigorously, "But before we go, can you tell us what happened between you and Ghashar?"

Link looked taken aback for a moment and then he smiled, "Sure, but let's do it outside so we don't wake her up." And so, they went out onto the deck, closed the door to Tetra's cabin and Link began to tell them what happened.

He told them everything, from the point that Ghashar had asked him to duel up to when Link had cut off the bokoblin captain's right hand off. He added in the details, like Ghashar's offer to sponsor him and their conversations during the duel. He described the movements of the battle as best as he could remember.

The pirates were awed and cheered Link on as he told the story. At the end, they were throughly impressed with his tale and all gave him another hearty pat on the back. They were all very proud of his accomplishment. Zuko claimed that Link would easily win the tournament without any problems, though Link had to disagree, remembering that Tetra had said that no one wins their first time in the tournament.

They spent awhile talking about the tournament, but then Gonzo realized that they had been spending a long time talking to Link and that they ought to go. So the pirates said good night to Link and told him that they would see him in the morning and left for the town.

Link, himself, went over to the cabin door and sat down, looking at the stars, he began to think about the day that had passed. It was at that point that he remembered that it was his birthday today. So much has happened that he had almost forgotten that. _Just like I did this morning_. He smiled, remembering that he had slept in and that Aryll had come to wake him up.

Summing up what had happened and going through all the events, Link decided that he had a pretty good birthday, there had been many low points of the day, many times where Link had almost died or looked death in the face, but overall, it had been to him, an ideal birthday.

There had been no presents, save the sword Orca had given him, the shield his grandmother had given him and the telescope Aryll had given him. There had only been an adventure for Link and he was looking forward to many more in the days ahead.

He tried to imagine the mainland and what the tournament could be like, in his mind, an image of a much larger Windfall came to him, but yet, he couldn't see a lot of people on this island and the people that were there looked like his friends and family on Outset. He had never seen a place with thousands of people, yet in his studies, he had learned that there were many thousands on the mainland, possibly more—the thought of it enthralled him to no end.

Despite his excitement, however, Link was very tired and found himself struggling to stay awake. He had promised to stay up and make sure Tetra was okay, but he could not overpower his weariness and thus, fell into a deep sleep. One so deep that he did not notice a person move about the ship that evening.


	8. Chapter 7: Initializing the Plan

Chapter 7: Initializing the Plan

Windfall Island began to awaken as the sun rose crawled over the horizon, unveiling its gentle morning rays over the sea and over the land. It would be a busy day since it was only three days until the annual Swordsmen Tournament on the mainland. Today would be the first Registration day, and many warriors would be leaving to travel a couple hours time to Hyrule.

The small island was an ideal place to stay for many vagabonds because of its close proximity to Hyrule for many travelers, merchants, warriors, sailors and, of course, pirates. The island was a good place to sell, trade and buy goods, so there was always plenty of money being exchanged, even if it was being taken unlawfully.

Tetra's ship had been still for hours, it had not been disturbed by any of the islanders. While it was very large and difficult to miss, the people did not pay the vessel any mind. After all, even pirates traded with the merchants civilly; it was not often that a band of pirates would raid and plunder the island. Doing such a thing in the open—even at night—guaranteed capture by the Royal Family's enforcers.

For this reason, pirates generally stole their prizes silently and discreetly to avoid too much attention. So the ship was generally ignored, much to Tetra's delight, as it would allow her and the pirates to work on their plan undisturbed and unhindered.

She was well awake by the time the sun had risen above the eastern horizon. Feeling rested and refreshed, unlike the previous day, Tetra went out onto the main deck. There, she was startled to see Link asleep next to the cabin door. An impish smile grew on Tetra's face as she closed the door quietly and then went over to Link.

"Link..." She said, tapping him gently, "Link... it's time to wake up." She waited for a response, but she got none, "Link... come on, kid. Wake up, it's morning and we have a lot of work to do today." She said into his ear and pushing his shoulders a bit harder.

"...not now..." Link mumbled, "It's too early to get up."

Tetra smirked, he wasn't listening to her. Sliding closer to him, she pawed at his chest and sighed passionately in his ear, "Oh, Linkie..." She wasn't trying to flirt with him, rather, she was trying to get a reaction out of him and if it didn't work, she could always hit him in the face.

Immediately, one of Link's green eyes popped open and he jumped back, nearly falling over the rim of the deck, "Wh-what are you d-doing??" He asked, his face completely red from embarrassment.

Tetra smiled, her blue eyes caught some light from the sun. "Waking your lazy rear up, that's what." She shook her head, "Ya know, for a kid who can fight pretty well with a sword, you're pretty lazy." Getting up, she turned left and walked around Link to the railing of the main deck and looked out to Windfall, "Oh, and don't take what I did seriously." She said suddenly, "I was trying to get a reaction outta you, good thing you did, otherwise, who knows what I might have done to ya!" She said with a wink and a sly grin.

"Oh, okay." Link said as his face drained away the crimson hue. Noting his tone of voice, Tetra was certain that he was almost disappointed, "I was there because the pirates left and I didn't... uh..." Playing with his fingers and looking down, Link's began to blush again, "I mean, to say, that I... uh... that is. Well..."

"Just spit it out." She said abruptly, rolling her eyes.

Hesitating, Link said, "Well, the pirates were going to the town and they wanted me to come... but I didn't.. uh... um..." He adjusted his collar, hesitating again, but seeing Tetra's annoyed expression he unstuck his words, "I didn't want to leave you alone on the ship..." He looked at his feet, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Really?" She said sounding a bit impressed, "So... where did Gonzo and the others go?" She asked with intrigue, "You know, just for kicks, did they go to the pub? The hotel...?" Shrugging she added innocently, "_Just_ out of curiosity."

"Uh... well, I don't know." Link said sincerely, "I really don't know! They didn't tell me and... oh crap." Realizing his mistake, he looked at Tetra pleadingly, "Please don't mention it to them, they didn't want you to know where they were!"

Tetra laughed, "Oh don't worry. I figured they snuck out last night." She frowned, "Morons. I'll bet they went out drinking even though they _know_ that I don't allow that." A very mischievous and triumphant smile grew on her face, "Don't worry, kid. I won't tell them that you spilled the beans. I'm glad you did," she added, smiling at him furtively, "They just didn't want to get in trouble with me for breaking my rules."

Link nodded and released a sigh of relief. Then, he realized something and looked at Tetra, "Wait a minute... How did you know that they snuck out?" he asked.

Smiling smugly and folding her arms, Tetra said, "You'll see, kid, you'll see." She blinked, "Oh look, here come the renegades now." Putting her hand to her forehead, Tetra let out a disappointed sigh, "Yup, it's just as I thought: they all got drunk last night." Pointing out the pirates to Link she said, "Take a look."

And there they were, rubbing their foreheads tenderly, Gonzo and the others could be seen walking across the field to the alcove. Even Senza, who didn't disobey Tetra often, was rubbing his head. Upon seeing the ship, all of the pirates straightened up and tried their best to look awake and sober, hoping that Tetra had not found out about their little escape.

Gonzo was the first to arrive, he saw Tetra and weakly saluted her, "G'morning, Miss." He said, attempting to hide a wince, "We were out looking around at the stores, takin' stock of what supplies are open to us." He grinned, hoping not to look too guilty, "Just to save time."

"And you had to leave in the middle of the night to do this?" Tetra asked with a raised brow, "Especially, leaving me _alone_ on the ship to go off and have a little fun!" She almost spat, trying to control her rising temper, her blue eyes kindling with rage, "You should have listened to Link, boys."

"Uh... well..." Gonzo hesitated, looking very guilty, "Wh-what do ya mean, 'a little fun'? We d-didn't do anything wrong and we just left this morning!" He explained, throwing his arms out in a innocent gesture. The other pirates arrived and all of them started nodding fervently, as if there was something they didn't want Tetra to know about.

There was a snort from Tetra, "Wrong. I got up in the middle of the night to go out to town. I found Link asleep outside my room and none of my boys anywhere." She raised a hand and a finger and spoke out to interrupt the pirate's protests, "_In fact,_ I passed by the tavern and I heard very familiar voices shouting and singing rather... jovially and, dare I say it, _drunkenly_."

She shrugged, playing with her hair and with a victorious smile she stated, "Not to mention that _I was awake_ when you were trying to convince Link to go to Windfall with you guys and show him some 'things to do, even though it's fairly late.'" Seeing the expression on the pirates' faces, Tetra thought, _I've got them now._

Gonzo's jaw dropped, she had quoted him directly, "No... you... you weren't!" He stammered, his fears rising, "You... you were awake during that whole time!?" The other pirates slapped their foreheads or made groans of despair, Gonzo slapped his own forehead and said, "_Not again!_ Miss Tetra, if you were awake then that means you..." She nodded, "you... ah dang it!"

"That's right... I went _shopping_ at dawn this morning to punish you boys." Grinning rather smugly, she added, "And it was pretty expensive this time around. You guys just never seem to learn, do you?"

Link looked from Tetra to Gonzo and back again; he was completely bewildered, "Wait a minute, I don't get it. How is 'shopping' a punishment??" he asked completely confused, "And how did you know ahead of time that... that they'd leave you?"

The mischievous pirate captainess giggled rather slyly, "They have done this before and I always manage to trick them into thinking I was asleep." Tetra's face was shining with amusement, "And I guess _shopping_ isn't the best word." Putting her finger to her chin and looking thoughtfully, she said, "I think _shopping-spree_ would be a much better word."

Zuko slapped his hand on his forehead, "I can't believe we fell for her 'fake sleep act' again, mateys." He looked over at Link, "Every time we fall for it and go out, Miss Tetra gets up and goes out spending all the money we earned on our raids." Letting out a groan, Zuko cradled his head in his hands.

"Not all of it," Tetra said defensively, but then with a furtive smile she added, "Just a lot of it. I usually spend it on worthless trinkets too." She said all this with a justified tone of voice, "And Zuko, if you and the others can be so easily tricked by me, even though I have pulled the _same ruse_ every time," Tetra raised a brow questioningly at him, "then how can I expect you not to fall into the enemy's traps?"

The pirates didn't respond, not knowing what to say or if anything they said would make the situation any better for them. She had a point however, if they couldn't outsmart her, someone they trusted, then they may not be able to avoid the snares of their enemies, who they couldn't trust.

"In any case," Tetra said, dusting off one of her pant legs, "I've told you guys time and time again that you can't go off drinking. Especially it if involves leaving me _alone_ on the ship at _night_." Seeing some of them beginning to groan, Tetra said sharply, her blue eyes flashing, "_And that's final!_ No 'buts' about it! We're wasting valuable time on this silly matter. Now, all of you, come over here and get close, but not too close. That includes you, Link." She added, motioning to him.

Link and pirates gathered around Tetra, trying to stay close to her, yet avoiding high proximity. As soon as they had gathered around with confused looks on their faces, Tetra spoke, "Now then, do you any of you notice anything different about me?"

Looking at her, even more confounded than they were before, Link and the pirates tried to figure out what was different about her. Nothing seemed amiss, Tetra's hair was set in its usual coil on top of her head, she was wearing her usual attire: lavender shirt, blue vest, white pants that went down to the top of her ankles, red scarf around her neck and the red sash about her waist. There didn't seem to be anything different about her.

"Try using your noses, boys." Tetra suggested after it was obvious that the pirates couldn't figure it out, "That might give you a clue." She said sarcastically.

They began to sniff around her and then a smooth, sweet aroma slided into Link's and the pirates' noses. Gonzo's eyes went wide with sudden, unpleasant realization, "No way..." He said, utterly amazed, "I cannot believe it... you went and bought perfume."

"And cologne for you boys."

Putting his hand on his head, Gonzo let out a groan, "It probably cost all of our loot, oh geez! Miss... why would you go and do that? That stuff's only for pretty girls..." He complained, not understanding Tetra's methods.

That was a mistake, "What?" Tetra asked with an offended voice, "'Only for '_pretty girls_'? What the heck do you think I am? An ugly girl??" Her eyes flickered dangerously with the flames of rage.

Gonzo lifted his hands in defense and quickly stammered, "Th-that's not what I meant! Y-yer a p-p-pretty girl! R-right guys?" He asked, looking over at the other pirates for support. They all nodded hoping their agreement would stem Tetra's wrath, "I-I meant, fancy girls! Rich girls! I mean," he quickly corrected himself, not wanting to aggravate her even more, "We are rich... but, but ya... ya know what I mean! ... right?"

It worked. Tetra calmed down, in fact, she let out a laugh, "You mean girls who spend their money on hordes of embellishments, trappings and the like to adorn themselves?" Gonzo nodded, making Tetra smile, "Alright. I understand. This is... abnormal for me; You guys know I hate putting on perfume and wearing lavish dresses. But this is for the plan."

"What?" Nudge said, clearing his throat again, "So you were going to buy anyway? Even if we didn't go off drinking?" He asked, feeling rather betrayed, "That's... that's just not fair."

"Rule number one of reality, boys: 'Life's not fair, suck it up.'" Tetra chided, "You don't always get what you want. Besides," She added with a justified tone of voice, "Because you disobeyed me, I chose the more expensive brands. So, you all know that you could have saved... oh about... five hundred rupees?" Smiling contently at the expressions on her face, Tetra knew she had hit the nail on head.

"F-f-f-five hundred!?" Niko exclaimed, his eyes bulging in shock, "H-how much did it cost overall?"

"If I had to take a guess..." Mako chimed in, adjusting his broken and foggy glasses, "She probably spent an estimated one thousand rupees on perfume and cologne alone." Nodding intelligently, the genius added, "Given that we spent around a hundred on drinks, I'd estimate that we lost over six hundred rupees in this spree. I recommend that we stop. Otherwise, at this rate, we will create a deficit in our savings within a couple of weeks."

The pirates and even Link, who had been taught fairly well by Sturgeon back on Outset, looked at each other with bewildered expressions on their faces, "What's a 'deficit'? And how the heck do you get six hundred out of one thousand-one hundred rupees?" Link asked.

"Because the original set of cologne and perfume would have cost five hundred, since the set I bought was five hundred more, only six hundred rupees counts against them. As for a deficit, it's a debt." Tetra explained, "Basically, these boys, if they don't stop, will start owing rupees to all the taverns they keep going to because they won't be able to pay for it." She grinned mockingly at them with a taunting ring in her voice, "I heard drunk guys are pretty bad at handling dishes, _boys._"

None of the pirates said a thing in response, deciding that it would be in their best interests to examine their shoes rather than to look at their beautiful leader in the eye and admit their sin; there was a mutual feeling of shame. Curling her hair and feeling that they had been punished enough, Tetra continued.

"Anyway," She said loudly, attracting the pirates' and Link's attention, "We need this stuff for the plan. Because, as I couldn't explain to yesterday as our meeting was interrupted..." She paused, checking to see that all on the ship were paying attention to her, "We are posing as a _middle-class_ group of bomb merchants, so we have to be a little more presentable. Which brings it back to you boys." Leaning into them she said, "You guys smell and need to go bathe."

The pirates all slumped over in despair, "Aw... nuts! This just doesn't end for us!" Niko complained loudly, "Do we really have to? Why can't we just use the the cologne to cover the smell up?" He looked around, "Besides, it'll take too long and we don't have the time."

Tetra shrugged unsympathetically, "That's not my fault. Blame Ghashar and yourselves for wasting my time. Also, if you had obeyed my rules, you wouldn't feel like you were being punished so much." Pointing at them, she said, "So, you have no one to blame but your smelly selves.

Turning her side to them, she added, "And yes, you all must bathe. It's a requirement. The way you guys smell is awful, my nose is pleading for mercy over here; you would need to dunk yourselves in whole bottles of that cologne to hide the smell. And that," She said, sticking out her tongue in disgust, "would be too strong for _anyone_ to bear."

Gonzo's eyes flew around as if looking for a way to get out of this when they fell on Link, "What about him?" He protested, pointing at the islander, "He has to bathe if we are! It's only fair."

"Notice, Gonzo," Tetra said with slight annoyance, "that I never said Link _wouldn't_ be bathing." Smirking, Tetra knew from Gonzo's frustrated expression that she hadn't given him the reaction he had been looking for, "Now stop trying to get me to punish the kid. For once, he's actually being obedient and, surprisingly, he's shown foresight; he's done nothing wrong, which is something I can't say for the rest of you." Her words stung truthfully to the core.

Holding up her hands, Tetra drowned out the oncoming storm of protests with her voice, "So, you _all have to bathe!_ There is no getting out of this, understand?" Not even bothering to wait for a reply, Tetra turned her head to Link and asked, "You have a change of clothes on ya, right?"

"Uh... yeah," He said, feeling grateful that he had taken his blue lobster shirt and orange pants with him in the pouch that he had brought, "Though I'm not sure if they are clean." He added nervously.

Tetra sighed, "Fine. They're probably cleaner than what you are wearing now." She turned to the rest of the gang, "Now then, go back to the tavern and get into the baths. And no coming back until you guys have washed yourselves _throughly_." The pirates all grumbled ruefully, "And if any of you are caught drinking at the tavern..." She added with a dangerous voice, "Link here, has my permission to use his sword against you."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do." Tetra replied with an amused smile, "Don't wound them or anything, just use the flat side, 'kay?" Turning her eyes to the pirates she insisted, "Come on, guys, let's get to it. Washing up never killed anyone and you have to do it sometime, better to get it over with now." The pirates let a groan and Tetra mockingly imitated them, "'Oh my goddesses... I have to bathe... Oh! Woe is me! Miss Tetra is such a dictator...'" She stopped the imitation, rolling her eyes.

The pirates ambled down the gangplank, all of them wearing unpleasant grimaces on their faces. Link followed them, leaving the cunning pirate leader behind on the ship to plot the theft of the _Ocarina of Time_ from the _Temple of Time_.

-S-

Link caught up with the rest of the pirates; all of them were looking rather downhearted and oppressed. Trying to consolidate them, he said, "Cheer up, guys. She is just trying to make sure you don't hurt yourselves." Getting no answer from the silent group, he added, "You really shouldn't be angry at her." While he wanting the pirates to feel better, he was worried that they were thinking of betraying her.

"We're not." Senza said, "Just depressed, Miss Tetra really knows how ta lay the guilt on." Smiling at Link he added, "Don't worry, we're not thinking about removing her or anything."

"Yeah." Zuko laughed at the idea as if it were completely inane, "None of us have the heart to do that. She's just too much for us." The other pirates grinned and Gonzo chuckled. Continuing, Zuko added, "You might say she has us wrapped around her little finger."

"But she is being oppressive..." Niko murmured, "Maybe, we should just ignore her and do our own stuff." He snorted, "I mean, she's just a girl! Why do we need a girl to lead us?"

The pirates suddenly stopped, each of them turning slowly towards Niko. Each of their expressions said the same thing; they were looking at him as if he had said something extremely offensive. Gonzo, who had the fiercest glare of the gang, spoke up first, "You shut up, swabbie. Otherwise we'll teach ya to respect Miss Tetra." His voice sounded like the low growl of a large dog, "She may be mean, but she cares about us, at least."

"And that cannot be said of most pirate captains," Mako agreed, "Considering that a high percentage of such leaders tend to treat their minions like gusts of wind," he explained, his voice very sage-like, "fleeting and unimportant to the overall voyage."

"In other words, most are treated like dirt." Link said, understanding Mako's analogy, "I guess then, that Ghashar's Elites aren't treated so well."

Nudge cleared his throat, "Ahem Well... not really." He corrected Link, his voice flamboyant as usual, "There are only two pirate captains alive right now, that treat most of their crew with considerable respect." He expounded, "Tetra and Ghashar. His Elites get the best treatment of any of his raiders and he considers any Elite more of a friend rather than a minion. Tetra also considers us friends, who just have to listen to her from time to time and follow her rules."

Link nodded slowly, attempting to understanding the situation, "Then... she's basically a parent to you guys." That was the closest thing he could think of to the way Nudge had described Tetra.

Senza nodded, "That's about right. Though... we don't like to think about it in that way because we raised her. Heh heh." He chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly, "Pretty ironic, ain't it?"

Link couldn't agree more with Senza as they walked into the town of Windfall. It was beyond anything Link had imagined. At first, he thought it was a city, but upon asking the pirates, he found that Windfall was relatively small compared to the cities of the mainland; a concept that seemed impossible to Link.

While the range of the town itself was much smaller than the village on Outset, it was much more dense. White stone buildings were placed within five feet of each other going all around the small spiraling hill. There were towers on tops of some of the buildings, while others had red-tile slanted roofs.

However, the most prominent building was the lighthouse, which was off during the day, a tall white tower that dwarfed all other the buildings in the isle. It was so tall that it even made the extravagant manor of the resident aristocrat seem minuscule.

Passing by a shop with a jewel on sign above the door, Link recognized the old man who had given him the red potion the previous day to revive him from his encounter with the whirlpool. The old man was standing outside bartering with a middle-age woman he didn't recognize.

Coming around the bend, Link and the pirates finally reached the tavern, _The Old Seahorse_. Remembering what Tetra had told him, he started to watch the pirates more intently, hoping to prevent any 'accidental' drinking by Gonzo and the others.

However, the pirates behaved, staying true to their leader's orders and asked the owner if they could use the baths. Nodding firmly and very business-like, the owner let them use the baths. And there were enough for all seven of them, including Link.

-S-

As the sun continued to rise, it was halfway to its position at noon, marking the mid-morning. Tetra had made extensive plans and preparations while her men were out bathing themselves. She had gotten out the well-to-do clothing that she and the pirates had snagged from middle-class homes during their multiple visits and raids at Windfall, the perfume she had bought early that morning and various other trinkets and accessories that were needed for their disguises.

It was ironic how many, what she considered, 'useless' objects they needed to look like a member of the upper middle class. Bows, straps, hats, rings, pendants, leather bracelets and even canes. It boggled her mind to think of how a regular middle-class person got through the day with all this useless junk. She especially despised the amount of unneeded 'cutesy' accessories girls seemed to require.

_And the hairstyles reek._ She thought unpleasantly because she knew she had to change her hairstyle for the time being to avoid being noticed. The best hairstyle out of the ones available for a little girl were pigtails, and Tetra hated those. _They make me look too young._ She thought discouragingly, _Unfortunately, that's the type of style I need in order to hide myself._

Before she could do anything though, she heard steps on the gangplank. _Are they back already?_ She thought, puzzled. Turning around, she readied another tongue-lashing for the pirates when she realized that there were only a single pair of feet on the gangplank; Link's pair of feet.

His yellow hair was dripping wet, despite this, his hair was still rather messy. It was strange to see him without his green tunic, white pants and green hat, for it had been replaced by a blue shirt and orange pants. Tetra tried to control herself, but she couldn't. To her, Link looked so ridiculous in that outfit and the sight of him overpowered her, making the pirate captainess laugh unrestrainedly.

"Wh-what?" Link asked timidly, "Wh-what's so funny?"

Tetra put a hand to her mouth to stop her giggling, removing it, she explained, "S-sorry." A snicker escaped her mouth, "Hehe... you look so childish in that; just like a little boy. Of course," She added with a corrective tone, "you are a little boy..." Her mouth twitched, trying to fight back the smile that was growing on her face, "My goddesses, you don't anything like a warrior!" She said, letting out another laugh.

"But..." Link protested, looking very hurt, "I... I like this shirt. It's my favorite and it's the only other shirt I have!"

Tetra nodded, still smiling, "I understand, it's just that you look..." She paused, searching for the appropriate word, "very strange to me without your Hero's clothes. Well," she shrugged, "at least you don't smell anymore." Beckoning with her hand, she said, "Come over here, kid."

He walked over to her, his arms filled with his green, dirty clothing and his sword and shield. As he approached her, he asked, "How did you know these clothes were clothes of a Hero?" Link said, referring to the legend of the Hero of Time, "I mean... they're not, but..."

"They're based off the Hero of Time's clothes, right?" She finished for him, smirking as she noticed the surprised expression on his face, "Oh come on now, Link." Rolling her eyes, Tetra asked hypothetically, "Do you really think that only Outset knows about that legend? That legend is famous the world round. Here," She said as he came over, "put these down," She added, motioning towards the ground, "and let me put this on you."

"Put what on?" Link asked curiously, "You mean, the cologne?"

"Yep." Tetra replied, "I figure you've never used cologne before, so I'll apply it myself. It's not difficult, so don't worry." She added, noticing his scared expression, "I'm just doing this so you can see how to do it yourself." Picking up a clear blue bottle from a set of bottles and bags on the deck, she walked over to Link and pulled up his shirt.

"Gah!!" Immediately, Link back away and pulled his shirt back down, "Wh-wh-what are you doing!?" He demanded loudly, his face very red, "Do I have to remove my clothes or something??" Link swallowed, hoping it wasn't true, his face grew redder at the idea.

Narrowing her eyes in annoyance, Tetra said, "No... you don't have to remove your clothes. What I'm _trying_ to do is apply the cologne... now stop whining and struggling." She walked over to Link and pulled his shirt up again, going around to his back, she opened the bottle and let a few drops fall into her hands. Putting the bottle down, Tetra proceeded to rub the cologne on Link's upper arms and in his armpits, with a voice of disgust, Tetra said, "And I'm _only doing this once._" It was very unpleasant for her to move hers hands under his pits.

Feeling extremely warm in the face, Link asked, "I-I think I-I g-get it now. Lemme do the rest." He was getting edgy as Tetra was about to apply the cologne to his chest, "O-or it could definitely be enough. You really don't have to add anymore."

Tetra was about to let him do it himself, but the more controlling part of her nature refused, "No. You might screw something up. Now stop complaining or I'll pinch you in the ribs." As she rubbed her hands over Link's chest, the pirate suddenly said with a shocked voice, "Whoa! I wasn't expecting that!"

"Huh? What is it?" Link fearfully asked.

Tetra smirked, "You know, you look like a skinny twig on the outside." Putting her mouth to his ear, she asked, "So, how the heck do you have such thick muscles on your chest? Not to mention the six-pack..." Letting out a snort, "I suppose this would explain for the amazing combat results, eh?"

"I-I..." Link's face had just done the impossible, it was redder than a beet, "I really d-don't know. I guess..." Moving his eyes to the edge of his sockets, Link tried to look at her, to see her expression, but he couldn't see her face, "A-are you done yet?" He asked hopefully, glad that he had withheld himself from telling Tetra how soft her skin was.

"Yes." Tetra said, removing her hands from his chest, "It's done." He let out a relived breath and turned around to find the bottle being placed in his hands, "There. You should know how to use it now." She walked a few paces away and then knelt near the bags. She opened one of them and began to rummage through its contents, "Don't go anywhere, I have something for ya."

"For me?" Link chanted, completely confused, "What do you have for me?"

"Well," Tetra started, reaching deeper into the bag and trying to pull something out, "I noticed your pouch was kinda full awhile back... a little too full." She added, "Dang it, come here you!" She suddenly exclaimed at the bag, "So... I thought you'd need something to help you carry all that." It wasn't long before she pulled it out, "Ah, here it is." Smiling, the pirate girl put the item in Link's hands.

It was a small light blue bag which was the exact same size as Link's brown pouch. He examined it carefully, looking for anything special besides the golden drawstring around the top. The bag itself felt unusually light and the blue fabric seemed to shimmer slightly as the Sun's rays reflected off the surface.

Looking at Tetra, Link gave a sort of sheepish smile, "Um... thanks, but..." He shook his head, "I already have a pouch. This doesn't seem any different from the other one I have."

Tetra sighed, "I should have guessed that you wouldn't know what that is." Link's face was still quite puzzled. Winking at him, Tetra explained, "It's not a regular pouch, it's enchanted."

"Enchanted? You mean, a wizard made this?"

"Yep." She replied, "Magicians used to make these all the time for the people of the mainland. But for some odd reason, after the Hero of Time defeated Majora, the wizards stopped creating them." Standing up, Tetra continued to explain, "We managed to swipe this and a few others at an antique's store because we thought they would be really useful. But we got one pouch too many."

"One too many? Didn't you count?" Link asked with a half-smile on his face, "Ya know, just to make sure."

Shrugging, Tetra replied, "Well... when you're running from the authorities, you don't think to stop and count your loot. It's generally considered a stupid practice among pirates and thieves." She added with a smirk, "In any case, we don't need it so I decided to give it to you."

"Uh... okay..." Link said slowly, looking around as if there was something missing, "But what does it do? I mean, you said it was enchanted." He scratched his head, "But it doesn't really look... _magical._"

"Ugh." Tetra slapped her forehead and let out a giggle, "Sorry, I forgot. The pouch is called an 'Adventurer's Pouch'. It's very handy as when you put an object inside, it'll shrink down by about a tenth of its original size so you can fit more. Heh. I've heard of people hiding Tower Shields in those things with a little room to spare." She added with a snicker.

"Oh..." Link's eyes went wide and he stared at the pouch with renewed awe, "wow... Th-thanks... thanks a lot, Tetra!" Continuing to stare at it with amazement, Link wouldn't have been able to guess how useful this pouch was going to become. He didn't get rid of his old pouch, however, because it still could hold things for him.

"No problem, kid." Tetra winked, "Anyway, when the boys get back, I'll have Niko wash your clothes. I don't mean to be rude to you, but I personally think you look a little more intimidating in your Hero's clothes, rather than that blue shirt." She snorted again, a smile growing on her face.

"That's okay," Link said quickly, "I'm not going to wear these for the tournament; I'd rather look like the Hero."

Tetra nodded, "So... where are the others?" She inquired, "They are taking quite a bit to bathe and get back here. They better not be drinking _again._" Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Tetra sighed deeply.

"I don't think you need to worry." Link said reassuringly, "They were feeling really guilty after you scolded them. I don't think they'll break the rules again." Turning around, he looked over the rim of the ship in search of a sign from Gonzo or the others, "I'm sure that they just got delayed... they'll come."

As if to confirm Link's statement, Tetra suddenly heard the sounds of laughter, familiar laughter. Jogging over to the rim of the deck, she stopped and smiled at the sight of Gonzo and the rest of the pirates; all of them dripping wet and wearing identical sets of temporary clothing while carrying their old dirty outfits.

They stopped as they approached the gangplank when they saw their leader waiting for them. The smiles faded, the laughter stopped, not one of the pirates would meet Tetra's eyes; they were still feeling guilty about their disobedience. There was a long pause that made Link feel very uncomfortable.

"I've been waiting for you..." Tetra finally said, dissolving the silence, "All of you..." They shuddered as she said it, each pirate afraid of being scolded again, "Come on up here, boys. We have to prepare ourselves and let go of the past. Dwelling on the past is only useful to see what mistakes that can be shunned in the future. Not for moping."

They looked up at her and expressions of surprise flashed onto their faces: Tetra was smiling, "As long as you don't do it again... I forgive you."

"Miss Tetra..." Gonzo said slowly.

With a raised hand, she stopped his next words, "No... we don't need to talk about it. We don't have the time. I want you all to get into the fancy clothing we took a few weeks ago." She paused, "Then, come back up to finish the preparations and I'll explain what we're going to do."

-S-

The pirates did as they were told and went down to the lower decks to change. In the meantime, Tetra had Link go up into the crow's nest to keep watch. She told him that she was also going to change, and she needed him to make sure no one would attack the ship. They had to be cautious from here on out.

Staying to her orders, Link kept fervent watch with Aryll's telescope. His new Adventurer's Pouch was now tied to his belt along with his old pouch. Already, he had stored both bottles that his grandmother had given him in the magical pouch and there was plenty of room for more. Niko had taken Link's Hero's clothes and his sword and shield down to the lower decks with him to wash them. All around the ship was quiet save the rushing of the sea and the cries of seagulls.

He thought about the recent events, about the way Tetra had touched him. It's so weird... He thought, puzzled, _One part of me wanted her to touch me, the other was too scared and too embarrassed. Just what the heck is going on with me?_ Link had never had a crush on a girl before so the divide in his inner self was not something he was used to. Nevertheless, he knew that he liked her.

An hour passed and Link was beginning to wonder where the others were. A call from the deck came as if to answer his mental question, "Hey, Link! Come down here!" It was Tetra's voice, apparently she had finished changing, "I'm going to need your help. So come down quickly."

Immediately obeying and very curious to see what Tetra had been doing, Link hurried down the ladder to see her. "I'm here!" He said as he landed on his feet, "What took you so- Tetra?? Is that you?" His eye went wide with shock, Tetra looked completely different from before.


	9. Chapter 8: Hyrule, the Mainland

Chapter 8: Hyrule, the Mainland

She had completely redone her hair and set them into two shoulder-length pigtails with a red ribbon tied around the stems of each pigtail. Around her body, Tetra had donned a loose white, and very girlish-looking dress which covered her body from her neck to her toes. It was real cute, but it bothered Link at the same time as he recalled his recent feelings about her.

"Well," Tetra grinned, "What do you think? Do I look like a little girl?" she asked, hoping to get a good opinion. Then she noticed the disturbed look on his face and frowned, "Hey, come on now. It's the best I could do with what we could get."

"Err... well..." Link hesitated, "It's... cute. And you do look a lot younger, but..." He could not believe he was looking at a fierce pirate captainess. Remembering the way Tetra had fought against Ghashar's men, he couldn't believe that the girl he was staring at was the same cocky, stern and tough pirate he had met the day before, "Just... why are you dressing like that?" he asked.

Tetra sighed, "Well... I suppose since you weren't originally in on the plan, you wouldn't have known. We are disguising ourselves as middle-class bomb merchants." Pointing to herself, she explained, "I am posing as one of the merchant's young daughters, about, oh say, nine years old whose come to watch the tournament." She adjusted her sash and inquired again, "So do I look the part?"

"Well, yeah..." Link answered, "... but you look so strange."

"That's because you're used to good 'ol sexy me." She teased, sticking her tongue out, "Now, I'm a cute, innocent little girl..." Smiling, she added very slyly, "...innocent to an extent, that is." She eyed him intensely and placed her hands together. Rubbing them she asked, "So, Link... you said you had a little sister, right?"

"Uh... yeah." He blinked, looking a little confused and a little frightened, "I do. I kinda told you about her when I was checking her telescope..." he added before asking slowly, "but why do you want to know?" Tetra was about to respond when she cut off by a loud dull noise coming from behind them.

The door to the cabin suddenly swung opened and out came a bunch of middle-class merchants. All of them were dressed in high-quality vests, jackets, hats, coats, pants, belts and boots all different colors and sizes. Link was about to ask who they were when he abruptly realized that there were exactly three short merchants, and three large ones; it was Gonzo and the other pirates.

Tetra clapped her hands together, "Oh good, you're all here." Tetra said with a smile which turned into an impish grin as she took note of their shocked stares at her new attire and appearance. "All of you look very well-dressed and some of you even look rather handsome. It's a big improvement from a few hours ago."

"M-miss... Tetra?" Nudge asked, forgetting to clear his throat, "I-is that really you?" Nudge had donned a head-fitting brown cap and a gray set of merchant clothing.

"Yes. It's me." Tetra tapped her foot, "I told you boys that you'd be quite surprised." She motioned to Niko, "Did you clean the cloak like I wanted, Niko?"

Niko stepped forward, and unfortunately, he looked worse than before. His face was covered in small, loose patches of hair all over his beaver face. Apparently, the pirates had tied to improve his appearance and didn't do as well as they had hoped. Nevertheless, he looked very sharp in his dark blue vest.

He nodded, "Aye. I got it right here." He took out a light-blue cloak that was the right size for Tetra. Handing it to her, Niko started staring at her again, transfixed upon her dress and her body. Tetra's eyes narrowed and Niko received a prompt slap from the pirate captainess, "Hey! What was that for?"

Taking the cloak, Tetra responded hotly, "You don't need to drool over me. I'm supposed to be a _little_ girl, not your hot date." She threw the cloak over herself and tied the draw strings together, "So..." she began to speak, an impish smile growing on her face, "Senza, Nudge, Gonzo... which one of you wants to be my daddy?"

Gonzo, Senza, and Nudge's eyes all popped open in shock. The three stared at each other, each red in the face for a long time. Then, they asked in unison, "D-daddy?" and looked at their leader with some apprehension.

Tetra looked dumbfounded, "What?" She exclaimed, placing her right hand on her forehead, "Didn't tell you boys about out plan yesterday? I swore I had explained everything you needed to-"

"No," Zuko responded, cutting Tetra off completely, "Ghashar attacked us yesterday before you could finish explaining it to us. Remember? Link came in and told us about the Black Ship and-"

Then Tetra cut him off, "Oh, that's right," She spoke quietly with sudden realization. Letting out a laugh she apologized, "I'm sorry. I forgot that we had ended our meeting abruptly." She folded her arms, "Well, this is a good opportunity then to explain everything to you guys at once. Come over and gather around me." She ordered, beckoning them all with a finger.

Link, Gonzo and the others obeyed and assembled around their leader. Once she was sure that they were all alert and paying attention to her, Tetra commenced her explanation, "Now then, listen up. We're posing as middle-class bomb merchants, at least, you six are," she added, pointing to Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Zuko, Mako and Niko, "Since I look the youngest, its obvious that I'm going to have to pose as a child: a daughter of one of the big three over here."

"Well, Miss..." Senza said with an impressed smile, "That's all well and good, but what about Link here? We ain't got any clothes for 'em."

"He won't need them." Tetra replied with a half-smirk.

Link blinked twice before asking, "Huh? What do you mean?" His face was completely blank of what Tetra was talking about; the pirates shared the same look as the islander.

A wide grin spread on Tetra's face and for one wild moment, Link thought he saw her blush, "Well..." She closed her eyes as if she were entering a trance and then giggled. Opening her eyes—that carried a sudden shimmer that Link had never seen before in her eyes—she looked at him and said, "Kid, you're going to be my older brother."

It was like an anvil had been dropped on each of their heads, Link and the pirates had hardly expected Tetra to play the role of a little girl, where she could not do the speaking for them. Now, not only was she a little girl, but she was Link's little sister.

_Is that why she asked me about Aryll earlier?_ The islander thought, feeling that this was going to be extremely awkward, if not outright embarrassing, to have Tetra act as his little sister, "Um... is... that why you asked about Aryll earlier?" He asked slowly, repeating his own thoughts. He wanted to try and gain some ground over this situation and said, "No offense, but I don't think you could act like her at all."

"Oh really?" Tetra asked with a challenging tone of voice. Giggling slowly, the sly pirate leader said to her cronies, "He doesn't know me very well, does he, boys?" She motioned for them to give her some room, and they obeyed quickly. She was now facing off to Link like they were in some sort of life-or-death duel. Clearing her throat, Tetra breathed in.

"Oh! Big brother!" Her eyes were suddenly shining with artificial, yet convincing innocence, her voice was a bit higher and sounded disturbingly like Aryll's. Tetra skipped over to Link childishly and grabbed his arm, cuddling it tenderly, "Oh, big brother... you're going to fight in the _big tournament_ right?? You know," Her eyes flickered towards him, glimmering brilliantly, "You know, _for me??_" Letting go of his arm, Tetra moved away and asked rather pompously, "How was that for acting like a little girl?"

There was a long pause before Link could regain control over over his voice box and his jaw muscles. Speaking, however, was still painful for him, "... Th... th... that was..." he swallowed, "... that was pretty good. You... acted a lot like Aryll there." The red color in his face finally began to wash away.

"Thought so." Tetra smiled wittingly, "I figured a guy like you would have a cute little sister." She turned back to the pirates and saw that her performance had almost knocked the wind out of them. Each of them was struggling to breathe, "Oh, come on, boys." she said, rolling her eyes, "You can stand me being cutesy for awhile." Clapping her hands twice before speaking, Tetra asked, "Now, who's going to be my daddy? Eh? We don't have all day."

Senza, Gonzo and Nudge were still hesitant about claiming Tetra as their child and it began to irritate Link. They were all red in the face, and glanced at each other as if hoping the other one would speak first. _Bah! They only have to be a parent to her!_ Link thought, his own eyes flickering steamed flames, _Why are they red in the face? She's only my age, and at least, they don't have to be her older brother._ Finally, after several moments, Gonzo said, "I'll do it, Miss."

"Oh, good." Tetra said promptly, "Next, we need new names, except Link, for our trip. I've already come up with a name for my role. I'm going to be Elena." The pirates looked stunned again, "Yes I know. That name is pretty irksome to you boys, you're not alone on this."She added, rolling her eyes, "But like I said, we really don't have a choice in this. We're going to have to take regular middle-class names. Understand?"

This was different, Tetra spoke kindly and understandingly towards the others and Link had an idea as to why. Tetra liked dressing up and changing her name to something ordinary just like the rest of the pirates did—not at all. He felt sorry for them, almost wanting to dress up and change his name to make the others feel better, especially Tetra.

Gonzo and the others nodded solemnly, apparently they understood like Link did that they had to do this even if it disquieted them. Within a few minutes, the pirates had come up with new names for themselves, each of them grimaced as they said it. Gonzo was William, Senza was Benjamin and Nudge gave himself the name Johnathon. Zuko took the name George, Niko was Anthony and Mako decided to use Albert—Tetra approved all of them.

"Alright then," She said when they had finished, "when we get to the mainland, we're going to have to head to the _Sword and Shield Tavern_ in Castle Town. We have a reservation under the name 'Jacobson', but only Link, Gonzo and I are going to have that name, understand?" She strained, "The rest of you are either cousins, brothers or business partners; pick one and stick with it. If you change your relation to Gonzo at any time, people will begin to get suspicious, so don't do it!"

Swallowing, the pirates all agreed on the issue, understanding the gravity of the situation completely. Then, they continued to give their captainess their full attention. "After going to the Tavern, we'll head to the Arena to register Link." Tetra explained, "After that, for the next few days, we'll train him." Stopping, she looked over to the islander and said, "No offense, we know you're a good fighter, but it doesn't hurt to practice, kid."

"Yeah, that's okay." Link said, he had no qualms with that whatsoever; the more he trained, the better chance he had of getting into, at most, the semi-finals of the tournament.

"Excellent!" she replied, sounding rather pleased with Link's response. Then Tetra continued, "After which, various things will be done for preparation. We'll have to get food for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner; either by buying it from the market or going out. I don't recommend going out too often, considering it leaves us in the open and if you are going to go out, we _all_ go." Narrowing her eyes, Tetra added darkly, "There will be no three-somes going out for a bite." The pirates didn't even look at each other, but they were sure Tetra also meant drinking.

Now, she was about to continue to explain the plan, but she hesitated as if she did not like this part. However after a moment, she decided to continue, "I know you're all going to hate this," she groaned, "but... we have system here, right?" She asked looking around, "Ya know, the lower rank you are, the more clean-up chores you have to do? Well, guess what? The ranks don't matter for this mission."

Link noticed the pirates looking at each other, bewildered and nonplussed; he was curious as to what Tetra meant. Thinking back, he remembered Zuko telling him about how the 'swabbie' was the lowest rank on the ship—the one who did all the cleaning around the ship. He didn't know about what rank system Tetra used, but it didn't matter to him; he waited for her to clear the confusion.

"We're all going to have to take turns washing our clothes and such," Tetra finally said. There was a large groan from the whole group of the pirates—although Niko was looking particularly happy about this piece of news—Tetra raised a serious brow and said over the pirates' groan, "And I mean a_ll of us_. Including me and Link. These are the only high-quality clothes we have and since we'll be training Link everyday, we'll be fairly sweaty. We have to spend a lot of time to keep these clothes clean." A dominate smile grew onto her face before she added, "However... just because I have to do a swabbie's work, doesn't mean I'm not the final word anymore. I'm _still_ your captain, got it?"

This was something the pirates could all agree on—obeying Tetra that was—they still; however, looked like they wanted to find some way to avoid having to do wash-work insomuch that Link could not hold back a chuckle. Then Senza approached Tetra, "What about room assignments?" he asked, a question that caught the islander's attention, "Were not just going to leave the kid alone, are we?"

"Of course not!" Tetra laughed, "He'll need the most sleep out of all of us. The formation is the same." She explained carefully, motioning with her hands, "Gonzo and Zuko will be across from my room, Senza and Mako, you'll be to my left and Nudge and Niko will be to my right."

Now, he wanted to know. "What's with the specific arrangement?" Link asked no one in specific.

"It is so Miss Tetra can be protected by all of us easily." Mako explained, adjusting his glasses gingerly, "We can get to her room quickly or form an instant defensive position around her room. Likewise, this formation makes assisting each other more feasible."

"Whoa..." Link was clearly impressed, Tetra and her pirates were much more organized than he thought even beforehand. _It's no wonder these guys are so good at stealing things. They really put their minds to it,_ He thought and then realized there was something even deeper about it, _and they put each other first rather than themselves._ He looked at Tetra, "So... where I am staying?"

Tetra grinned rather slyly, "Well... that is a problem, isn't it? We can't put on the outside, that would disrupt the way the formation is set up for immediate defense." With a slight shrug, Tetra sighed and said after a few seconds, "The only way I see it working is if you are inside the circle. In other words," her eyes flashed, "you're going to room with me."

There was a general shock among the group; the pirates were each making protesting sounds. Link, on the other hand was again speechless and red as a beet. Tetra's temper seemed to be growing short, "Look!" She exclaimed, "There isn't any other way... unless you want him in sleep in the hall." She added unkindly towards the six, silencing the pirates, "Link is going to room with me, alright?" The pirates only grunted and Tetra took that as a yes.

"Well... if there are no more complaints," she said as if she were daring them to protest. None of the pirates said anything, "I think we're almost ready to go. One thing to check before we go though... " She turned to Zuko and asked, "How's our bomb supply holding up?"

"Pretty good." Zuko responded, "We've got over three hundred; that should be enough to pose as a false supply. I suppose if we needed any more..." He mused with a grin on his face. He and Link exchanged glances before the both of them starting snickering.

"No..." Tetra chuckled, she also knew what Zuko was referring to, "That won't be necessary. Are there any questions, boys? Link?" She asked them all. This time, the pirates had the courage to shake their heads. Link followed suit, even though the idea of sharing a room with Tetra for three days made feel quite nervous. "Good!" Tetra said, "Well then... set the sails! We're going to Hyrule, next stop is _Kakariko Port Town!_"

-S-

Despite the hours of washing, training, and acting ahead, spirits were fairly high. Some of the pirates, like Senza and Zuko, kept winking at Link while others, like Gonzo and Nudge gave him jealous glares. Link asked Zuko what it was and he was shocked to learn that Gonzo and the others were jealous of him getting to room with Tetra. Zuko, on the other hand had been winking at Link for good luck; either way, Link felt bad.

But the excitement in the air was highly contagious and before long, Link wasn't worried about rooming with the pirate girl for much longer. The pirates had not often been to Hyrule and according to them, every time they went, the mainland seemed like a whole new place. Every year there were different merchants, shows and other forms of entertainment, including the tournament which was never boring or repetitive, for the tourists. Link gathered that the pirates had been to previous Swordsmen Tournaments from their tales.

Link noticed that the pirates had placed fake advertisements on large white sheets all over the ship and had changed the flag to make it unrecognizable. The large sheets depicted images of well-kept and fresh blue bombs for sell at low prices not matched anywhere else. It was, at least Link thought, a very good disguise for their ship.

It was early-afternoon when the ship finally pulled up to one of the docks in Kakariko Port Town. Despite it's name the port town was ironically not connected to the Kakariko Village at the foot of Death Mountain. Why it was called 'Kakariko Port Town' Link never really found out.

It didn't matter though because the sight blew him away. He could see the gigantic mainland of Hyrule from the dock, it was larger than anything that could fit in Link's imagination and then there was the port town itself. _I... I just can't choose which to look at first!_ He thought, suddenly realizing his jaw was wide open and closing it.

The buildings in the port town were not nearly as tall as the ones in Windfall, but they were wide and thick and made of wood, brick and other materials. Each building had plenty of windows and large doors. But this was just the docks, further down the streets Link could see houses with triangular roof tops that he had never seen before.

Unable to hold in the the excitement anymore, Link rushed for the gangplank when he was grabbed by a hand and pulled back. It was Tetra, "Hold it, kid. You look ridiculous right now." Still holding on to him, she said to Niko, "Did you wash his clothes like I asked?"

Niko nodded, "Aye. I have 'em right 'ere." He pulled out Link's green tunic, cap and white pants, which were all clean with the sword and shield ready on top. "They weren't so hard to clean, either," he added with a smug grin.

Taking the clothes, Tetra piled them on Link with his sword and shield, "Quickly!" She hustled him over the cabin door, "Go inside and change into your Hero's clothes with the sword and shield so people won't be so keen to notice that we have an islander with us!" She said rather briskly.

"W..." Link was about to protest but then he saw the look on Tetra's face and complied quietly, "... Alright..." He opened the cabin door and went inside. A few minutes later, Link came out wearing his hood-like green cap and tunic, he had strapped Orca's sword to his back and slung the shield over the sheath.

This time, Tetra smiled when he came out, "Excellent. Now," she said, giving each of the pirates a sharp look, "Remember, try to hold off on the accent and speak clearly. You can still talk like sailors, but none of this 'yarr' stuff, okay?" she explained, "You guys are, from here on out, going to have to speak for me because I'm a child."

The pirates nodded and Gonzo replied, "Will do. This shouldn't be difficult."

Tetra went over to Link and grabbed his hand, making his face burn up suddenly, though he became frightened when he saw her narrowed eyes, "Knock it off! That will definitely reveal us. Stop with the blushing, brothers aren't supposed to be embarrassed with their cute little sister."

"But..." Link protested, _how on earth am I not going to blush with her around all the time... she's so cute._ Link thought, remembering the first time he saw her, and way she had looked at him. The islander felt his face go even more red and knew that his crush on her was going to be quite a nuisance.

"Just think of me as Aryll, okay?" Tetra consoled, "We have to go now." She added as Gonzo and the others got their bags, canes and other things together and headed to the gangplank. Tetra guided Link over so that they were behind Gonzo; the boy could see her breathing deeply, trying to get rid of the stress that had overtook her for the day. It made him wish he could do something to relieve her of it all.

Thus, off the ship they went; Gonzo walked down the gangplank first with Tetra almost dragging Link following close behind. Then Nudge and Senza came down the ramp, Senza who was looking rather strange in that navy brimmed hat. Then they were followed by Mako, Niko and Zuko in tow; the pirates looked nothing like pirates at all and most of the people didn't pay them any mind.

Except for the Royal Guard in white with the red falcon of the Royal Family on his chest, standing in front of them, there was a cold stern look on the guard's face. _Oh crap, _Link thought tensely, _Did we blow it already?_ The Guard stopped the group with his hand and approached Gonzo.

"Say now..." The guard said, his voice was noble-sounding and light, "Just where do you think you're going? I don't think we were expecting any shipments of bombs yet. Aren't you a bit early? Or a bit late I suppose...?" He added with a dry cough.

Link was sure that they were doomed, but Gonzo, who had been apparently trained by Tetra for the occasion, merely said very calmly, "Well... we ain't selling yet, my good friend! We're here for the tournament, sponsoring a fighter, see?" Gonzo said all this with a hearty laugh and grin, hoping to get on the guard's good side.

However, the guard was not so easily softened, "Fighter? I see no warrior among you. Unless..." He looked at Link and stifled a laugh, "Unless you mean _this_ little boy... surely, you don't mean to enter someone so young. He could die and that little play sword isn't going to help him."

Feeling insulted, Link opened his mouth to defend himself when he heard a cute voice next to him say, "But it isn't a play sword. It's a real one and my brother is very good with it!" Swallowing and thinking of Aryll, Link dared a look at Tetra. She was smiling with her mouth-open and her eyes were sparkling like they were when she had pulled the 'cute' act on him, "Right, big brother?" She added, looking at him.

Link swallowed discreetly, thinking of Aryll hadn't helped at all. Behind those sparkles in Tetra's eyes, he could see azure flames coming out from behind them. Immediately he forced the redness out of his face and spoke with a clear voice, "Right! I've been training for years... I'll be fine." His words were no lie, unlike what the rest of the gang was saying.

"Well..." The guard considered them for a few minutes. He rubbed his chin in thought, looking from Gonzo to Link and then to Tetra's still shining face, he gave in, "Alright, I'll let you enter, but you must pay a docking fee of seventy rupees, sir."

Gonzo paid the fee without protest and the guard let them pass, "Enjoy your stay in Hyrule and good luck." He said dryly, doubting Link's true potential and skill. Feeling insulted again, Link was about to turn around and correct the guard when Tetra stopped him.

"Knock it off!" She whispered sharply, her eyes were narrowing dangerously, "I didn't think you were so cocky, kid. You'll prove him wrong in the tournament in a few days. Don't cause any unnecessary trouble!" Leaning into him, she threatened darkly, "Or _I'll_ give you trouble, understand?"

Link nodded meekly and Tetra returned to her to cutesy behavior. Not wanting to aggravate the already tense situation, Link didn't say anything more. It was a bad time to disobey Tetra, she was extremely stressed and worried despite her cute appearance (Link could feel her squeezing his arm very uncomfortably).

The group continued to move through the town, it seemed like everyone here was a sailor of some sort. Some of them had earrings, others carried large fishing nets, all of them had the familiar sailor's accent and a few even had peg-legs. Even the other swordsmen vouching a spot in the tournament, from what Link could catch from their conversations with other people, seemed to carry the characteristics of seamen; some of them even looked like pirates.

Although the streets were fairly empty, they felt crowded to Link who had never been in a place larger than Windfall up to that point. This was mainly because Kakariko Port contained more people than Windfall Island. Even though the isle was a popular trading place, it never had more than a few hundred people most of the time.

"Wow..." Link said, speaking his thoughts out loud and unable to contain his awe, "This place is huge... there's so many people and so many buildings. What do they all do?" He heard a snort from Tetra next to him, "What?"

"Listen to you..." She said, amused by his comments, "You sound like such a child. 'What do they all do?' That can't be answered, unless you want to ask them all yourself." She side-glanced at him, a teasing smile on her face, "If you're so amazed by this port town, you're going to have a heart attack when we get to Castle Town."

Link had to blink, "What...? You mean the town in the castle is bigger?" He asked, unable to even imagine any town larger than Kakariko Port.

Tetra let out a very girlish giggle that was not like her at all, "My gosh... I keep forgetting how naïve you are, being an islander." She shook head in pity, "You know, it's a bad idea to keep staring around at everything like that." she warned, "I know it's amazing, but you have to stop. You're _supposed_ to be a middle-class boy; you're not supposed to be blown away by all this." she explained and then added with a grin, "In fact, you should be rather bored."

"S-sorry... I... I'll try not to be so amazed next time." Link said grinning embarrassedly, "So... Just... how are we going to get to Hyrule Castle anyway?"

Gonzo was the one who replied, "We're going to the stables at the edge of town to get a wagon ride to the castle." He explained, "It'll take us across Hyrule Field to the Castle drawbridge. The trip will be a few hours, so be prepared..." He added, looking rather discouraged, "It's going to be boring."

However, Link was very excited at the thought of seeing Hyrule Field. "Ah... no way!" Link countered, "We'll be able to see the whole field! I read that you can see everything from Hyrule Field, including Death Mountain."

"Ah... I've seen it. Nothing really special." Gonzo shrugged indifferently, "It may impress you for awhile, but after looking at it for a few hours, you'll be dead sick of it." He guaranteed.

But Gonzo's words did not Link's enthusiasm of seeing Hyrule Field first hand. Sturgeon's books had never carried any pictures, so Link always had to rely on his imagination to see the great plains and towns of the mainland. So far, his imagination had, to his delight, utterly failed him.

-S-

It didn't take very long to reach the stables. Almost immediately, Gonzo had found someone that knew where the stables were and gave the disguised pirate clear directions to its location. There were some interruptions in the group's travel by wandering traders and merchants who became interested in the pirates' supposed trade, but Gonzo managed to talk them away without hesitation. Apparently Tetra had prepared the pirates more than Link had originally thought.

Within a half-an hour the group arrived at the stables without any real delay on their part. The stables were actually a dual set of buildings, one being a true stables with horses for the rent, the other was a station for wagons that would follow the roads out to other cities, taking passengers for a certain fee.

Because there were so many people, Tetra, Gonzo, Link and the rest had to wait in line for a ticket and again wait for a wagon to arrive to take them to Hyrule Castle. It was a tedious wait, one which no one really loved or hated, but within another half hour, a brown wagon made of wood and iron came to pick them up. The lanky driver smiled at them and removed his cap when he bowed.

"Greetins to ya folks!" He said with a friendly voice, "More merchants headin' to the castle, eh? Well... that's reasonable, it is a good time of the year for business!" He added with a sly grin. Link understood why, the station was still filled to the brim and tickets were eight rupees each. It was a good time for business at the stables.

"Yeah," Senza smirked while noting the price of the tickets. He leaned over to Nudge and whispered, "Especially since they seemed to have increased their prices suddenly." He snorted, "Easy way to get profits, eh? I wonder what their 'reason' is..."

Nudge cleared his throat and grinned, "'Inflation', of course." The two snickered at their joke and gathered up their belongings while Gonzo, Link, Tetra, Zuko, Mako and Niko all pilled onto the wagon. Nudge and Senza got aboard a few moments later with the luggage, both still had grins on their faces.

The wagon was a large box-like cart with seats all along the sides of the of the wagon. Straps were set into the wood seats every foot or so, the straps allowed a passenger to keep their self bound to the seat in case the cart went over a sudden dip or sharp rock.

Tetra was still clinging to Link under the pretense of being his little sister, so she sat down next to him and placed her head on his shoulder innocently and lovingly. It made Link feel uneasy, but he knew that she was only acting to make herself look like a little girl. And it was, at least to him, quite effective. His face felt very red and it didn't help that some of the pirates were throwing him jealous glances, he was finally grateful when the driver stopped looking over their tickets and spoke to them.

"So.. yer headin' to the castle, right?" He asked even though he already knew, "Maybe it ain't my place to ask, but where are ya'll goin' there for? It can't just be business if ya have yer kids with ya." He added to Gonzo.

"Well, it's sorta a mixture of both." The disguised pirate replied, "Ya see, I'm entering my son into the tournament and his younger sister was literally begging me to take her to see her brother fight." He chuckled, "Since we're starting a business in bomb-selling, I thought I'd bring my business partners out here to check out possible locations." He glanced at Tetra to confirm whether or not he had spoken correctly. She responded by throwing a wink at him which told Gonzo that he had done everything perfectly.

The driver looked at Link and asked, "Oh, that boy?" Gonzo nodded, "Is that why he has a sword... Well dang... he's gotta be strong if you're going to enter him." He said, clearly impressed, "I don't know any fathers who'd enter their young son into the Swordsman Tournament. A hard-working lad I'll bet."

Link suddenly liked the driver, for he was the first one to actually believe that the boy had any real skill at all. _I've been training for this thing for years,_ He thought, _It's nice to finally have someone on the mainland to be rooting for me. _Link gave a warm smile to the driver for his acknowledgment.

"So!" The driver exclaimed, "How fast do ya want to get there?" There was a kind of sneaky tone to his voice.

"Uhh..." Gonzo hesitated, not really knowing what to think of the driver's question, "Well, we want to arrive at the castle as soon as possible of course, but..." The driver cut him off.

"'As soon as possible'? Well..." He grinned mischievously, "I can make the horses run like Majora's chasin' them if ya want..."

"No!" Gonzo exclaimed loudly, "As convenient as that is, I want a more comfortable ride. Besides, I've got kids here! They're only..." He stopped and glanced quickly at Tetra. She mouthed "_nine_" to him and Link held up all the fingers on his hands and then two fingers on his left hand, "They're only nine and twelve for Naryu's sake. Get there as fast as you can, but don't burn the road, make it steady..." Tetra shot Gonzo a warning glance and he quickly added, "Please."

"Of course!" The driver responded sounding completely content with the decision, despite the faint tone of disappointment in his voice, "We don't want to hurt the children now, do we? Especially not that cute daughter of yours." And with that, the driver called to the horses and forced them forward onto the road that led out to Hyrule Field.

-S-

The ride was fairly uneventful. Link and the pirates didn't say much to each other, for there was nothing they could have said, lest they revealed their true identities and blow the raid. For Link, on the other hand, the ride wasn't all that boring, he enjoyed the sight of the huge field of Hyrule basking in the afternoon sunlight. The wind was gently caressing the grass across the field, it seemed so peaceful.

As they got further from the town, Link could see more clearly now, the large mountain range in the north with it's giant mountain to the northeast called Death Mountain. A ring of smoke circled the head of the mount, which, unlike the other peaks, was not covered by snow. Link's curiosity was aroused and he asked Mako why the mountain peak was not covered in snow.

"It's because it is a volcano." He replied, shifting his glasses to his nose, "The heat from the magma inside melts all the snow off the peak. The heat is also the source of the smoky ring around the summit." He chuckled and added, seeing Link's worried expression, "Don't worry, Death Mountain is actually too far out to damage Hyrule Field or the castle. But there is the danger that it might erupt if you try to climb it."

"Albert's right, kid." The driver chimed in, "Didja know that Death Mountain used to be the only mountain in Hyrule hundreds of years ago? It's said that the eruptions of lava from the mountain flow'd and harden'd, creating a large mountain range to the north over time."

"Wow..." Link was amazed, Sturgeon had never taught him about volcanoes, so he never knew anything about Death Mountain besides its name. The name, Death Mountain now made sense to him because he knew that the mountain could spew out deadly rocks of fire from its mouth at any time, making it life-threatening and unpredictable. _I hope I never have to climb it,_ he mused.

Even the splendor of Death Mountain couldn't keep Link enthralled for long, as true to Gonzo's words. The place began to bore him and the young warrior longed for some excitement. Tired, Link tried to put his head on Tetra's, hoping that she'd pass it off for acting and let him rest his eyes, but she wouldn't have it and quietly pushed him off.

He was so tired and so bored and the trip just seemed to drag on forever. It just wouldn't end; so repetitive had the clopping of the horses' feet become that they seemed to meld into the silence of the field. Some of the pirates were nodding off and Tetra seemed too quiet to be awake. It was just when Link thought that the ride would never end when the driver called out, "We're here! Welcome to Hyrule Castle, ladies and gentleman!"


	10. Chapter 9: The King's Adviser

Chapter 9: The King's Adviser

It was like a light at the end of a very dark and very long tunnel. The sight of the white outer walls astounded Link due to their massive size, making him forgot how boring the ride was. The walls spanned a huge distance that he didn't even try to guess, but they were long and went into the roots of the mountain range in the back and were at least forty feet tall.

The wagon stopped to wait until the drawbridge was lowered to create path across the moat that surrounded the castle walls.

Then Link realized that something, to him, was missing, "... Where's the castle?" He asked, looking to his left and then to his right with curiosity, "I see the walls, but where is the castle itself?"

"This is the castle, big brother." Tetra answered, she motioned for one of the pirates to explain since she was posing as an innocent and impressionable little girl.

Zuko answered the call, "Very simple, my friend. As your sister said, this is the castle." He explained, but then quickly added, "However, these are just the outer walls. Beyond these is Castle Town, or the Market Place as some people like to call it. Castle Town is about a couple of miles in length and width and beyond it is the Palace, which is where the King resides. The Palace is much further out than the town with a large field in front of it, they say the Royal Family Militia is trained there."

Link nodded, taking all this information with eagerness, "Oh... so these walls are here to protect the town inside the castle?"

"Not only the town," Senza chimed in, "But the _Temple of Time_, an extremely important building that some consider to be more important than the Palace itself." He scratched his black beard and added, "Of course, it makes sense why the Temple is so important."

"Why is that?" Link asked, he had not learned about this temple at all from Sturgeon, "Why is the temple so important?" He repeated, "Is it just because it's a scared place?"

"More than that... son." Gonzo added quickly, "The _Temple of Time_ has an important artifact from the Goddesses who created the world—The _Triforce_." Pausing to let the words sink in, Gonzo then continued, "The_ Triforce_ is a scared set of golden triangles, and it's said that whoever touches it can have his or her greatest desires granted."

"Wow..." Link said in awe, he had known all about the _Triforce_ from the legend of the Hero of Time, but he hadn't known about the _Temple of Time_, "So... it must be heavily guarded," He heard a snort from Tetra that made him add, "right?"

"Well..." Gonzo looked at Tetra. Their leader shook her head in response, she was telling him not to reveal the weak defenses of the temple out loud, "Yes. It is heavily guarded. In any case, the Arena is right next to the temple, interestingly enough."

Link was about to ask another question when Tetra put her hand on his lips, she drew close and whispered in his ear, "Save it for the hotel." She commanded sternly, "We're going to have a meeting tonight where we can answer all your questions, but right now, it's a bad idea to ask too many because we might get discovered. Okay? Just be a good boy for now and act like you understand everything."

"Okay," He whispered back, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Say..." The driver had been listening to their conversation, "You're middle-class right?" The pirates nodded, and Tetra squeezed Link's arm very suddenly; she was afraid they had blow their cover, "Then why doesn't your kid know about the _Triforce_ and the _Temple of Time_? Everyone should know about that!"

Gonzo made a motion to explain, but he was drowned out by Link's voice, "Oh! No no no!" He said laughing, "I've known about the _Triforce_, the Hero of Time and other stuff like that for years. I just... I was..." He paused; seeing the frantic expression on Tetra's face, Link breathed in and shrugged casually, "... just never taught about the _Temple of Time_! That's all."

"Hm..." The driver made a sort of shrug, "Well... I suppose so. Oh well. I guess you were too busy concentrating on your training to remember that." He grinned at them,"Well, I'll take you guys in, then." He called to the horses and forced them forward across the wood and iron drawbridge.

Breathing out a relaxed sigh, Tetra loosened her grasp on Link's arm and put a hand on her chest tenderly. Leaning over her mouth next to Link's ear, she whispered, "Good save. But..." She warned, "This should show you why you shouldn't ask so many questions, kid. We almost got caught there. Watch your mouth, got it?"

Link nodded without question and then he became silent; that had been too close for comfort and had they been caught, Link would have lost his chance for the tournament. _Not to mention that I might get in trouble just by hanging around them_, he reminded himself gingerly. His mind then latched onto the idea that he was possibly doing something wrong by helping the pirates, and Link began to worry about the situation he had entangled himself in.

As the wagon drove into the gate and over the drawbridge, Link's worries were once again firmly buried by his awe. Tetra had been right—Castle Town was gigantic compared to Kakariko Port Town. The buildings resembled the white houses from Windfall Island, only they were bigger and more elaborate. There were streamers and banners all over, advertising for this thing and that; most of them beckoning all warriors of the sword to come to the tournament.

Not to mention that the place was packed with people; Link guessed that the gray-tiled streets were five times as full as the dirt roads in the port town. There were merchants, other wagons, warriors, traders, soldiers and the like, all going about their business. The massive amount of people created a lot of noise that rebounded off the walls of the city, amplifying the sense of thrill and excitement of the tournament. All of these things made Link wonder why he had ever thought the Port Town to be amazing at all.

Merchants and traders had set up their shops on the sides of the street, selling all sorts of goods from trinkets to food to clothing to possibly everything ever imagined. There were carts, tables, tents, desks, rugs and other objects used by their respective owners as makeshift stores and shops. All of the vendors boasted high quality products and low prices; attempting to get as many customers as possible to buy from them, even if their items appeared rather dubious.

"Where are you folks stopping?" The driver asked after taking them through the city for about five minutes; the going was very slow because of the myriad amount of people and other wagons, horses and such sharing the same street, "I mean... we ain't getting there any time soon..." He added with an amused chuckle, "But it'd be nice to know."

"Let us off at the _Sword and Shield Tavern_." Gonzo replied, "You... know where it is, of course?"

"Oh yeah! Popular place, that is." The driver responded, waving it aside, "I've been to that place so many times that the owner is practically a good friend of mine now." He laughed, "Every year it seems like every swordsman I meet wants to go there." Guiding his horses through the sea of people, merchants and wagons, he added with a half-frown, "It's going to be at least twenty minutes I'd guess. This town is huge." He looked at Gonzo and advised, "Keep an eye on your kids so they don't get accidentally swept away with someone else."

With a firm nod, Gonzo shot a glance at Tetra. A confident, if not pompous, and sly smile crossed Tetra's face; she knew the city very well and it would be impossible for her to get lost in any situation. Link on the other hand, didn't seem so confident, he was worried he'd follow someone else for hours, getting him and Tetra lost.

The pirate captainess noticed Link's anxiety and she threw him a reassuring wink, "Don't worry, kid." She whispered to him, "I know this city inside and out. As long as you let me guide you, we won't get lost." The boy nodded and took comfort from Tetra's words, he only hoped that he could act well enough to seem as if he were guiding Tetra and not the other way around.

The wagon continued along around down the streets of Castle Town for almost a half-hour. To Link it didn't seem to take very long; before he knew it they had stopped in front of a tall white-brick building that was about three stories high. On each of the walls and each of the stories were countless windows. The front door was red in color with a yellow handle and neatly laid beneath it was a welcome mat. Above the door, a large sign in big hylian text with an image of crossed swords behind a shield said:

"_Sword & Shield Tavern_: The Place for Adventurers, Warriors and Scoundrels."

"This is it, friends!" The driver said, hoping off his seat and going around to open the wagon's door, "Everybody off! Do you need some help with that?" He asked Gonzo, eying all their things with them. Gonzo quickly shook his head, "Alright then," the driver replied. They all unstrapped themselves, gathered their belongings and got off. As Link hopped onto the ground, he heard Tetra call out to him from behind.

"Big brother...? Can you help me?"

Link, trying his best not to blush, turned around slowly. Tetra was standing at the edge of the wagon, acting very scared and looking at Link with wide, innocent eyes, she pleaded with a young girlish voice, "I'm... I'm scared of heights... can you help me down...? Please?"

Swallowing, Link held out his arms and said, "Give me your arms, Elena." Tetra reached out to him in a very convincing fashion, pretending to almost fall out of the wagon and then grabbing the rail to bring herself back to safety, "Come on..." He was afraid he would have to bring her down by the waist.

"Can you carry me down?" She asked in a cutesy fashion, "I'm afraid I'm going to fall..."

That was not what Link wanted to do, but the driver was watching and waiting for her to get off the wagon; he had no choice but to grab Tetra around the waist and lower her to ground, "There you go." He said when he was done, pretending to pant in order to mask his embarrassed red face with a strained one.

"Thank you, Link!" She exclaimed, "You're the bestest big brother ever!" She added, hugging him around the waist very suddenly. Link tried his hardest to think of the times when Aryll hugged him so that he wouldn't blush; it half-way worked but his face still felt a little warm. Some of the pirates were throwing him dirty looks as once again he was getting attention from Tetra—false attention, but it was still attention nevertheless.

"Ha!" The Driver laughed, "That's cute. She's a lucky girl to have such a caring brother." Getting up onto his seat, he called and waved at them, "See ya later folks!" And with that he drove off into the masses back to the Port Town. Tetra, Link and the pirates waved back at him and then they all turned towards the inn.

"Well, let's go inside, mateys!" Zuko said, looking around at his companions, "What are we waiting for?"

"Hold it...!" Gonzo whispered sharply, stopping his companions in their tracks. He looked at each of the pirates and asked quietly, "Do you guys all remember your names?" They all nodded in response, "Good." Looking at Tetra, he said much louder, "Let's go in then!" And in they went, Gonzo first, followed by Tetra with Link in tow, then the rest of the pirates followed—Senza and Nudge in the middle and then Zuko, Mako and Niko in the rear.

Inside, they found themselves in a large lobby area that was divided into two sections, the bar and restaurant area to the left of the entrance and the check-in area on the right. The floors were made of light brown wood and were aligned on the floor as tiles. The walls were made of wood and stone, which had a torch in every corner of every room to keep the tavern well lit.

There was a lot of noise coming from the restaurant area of the tavern; apparently there were a lot of people excitedly discussing the tournament. Link wanted to listen in on the conversations and see if his ears could grab any rumors about the fighters entering the tournament, but he knew Tetra wouldn't have allowed him to do so.

The group immediately approached the front desk; unfortunately, there was a line, just like when they had gone to get a wagon in the Port Town. And as always, the wait was boring and uneventful; however, they did not have to wait as long as they did before and it seemed to Link that they were suddenly standing right before the front desk.

"Next please." The innkeeper called, "I don't have all day, ya know," he sounded extremely bored out of his mind.

Gonzo approached the desk and leaned against it with his right arm. With a grin he said, "We have a reservation under 'Jacobson'. Four rooms, two person per room. The clients are some business partners and my family."

The innkeeper looked around, examining each of them closely. After he was done, he asked, "Who is a family member and who are business partners, Mr. Jacobson?" His brow was raised suspiciously, "We're just checking to make sure that no one... dishonest gets in under our shoes."

Gonzo laughed in an attempt to alleviate the innkeeper's doubts about the party, "Well, I'm William Jacobson and I'm a bomb merchant, just recently opened." He pointed to Tetra and Link, "These two are my children, Elena and Link." The innkeeper looked down at the two and Tetra gave him a cutesy smile. Link swallowed, a little nervous, but he managed to give a warm smile to the innkeeper.

"I see," The innkeeper said, adjusting his spectacles. He was not so dubious of Link and Tetra as he was of the rest of them, "And the others?" he asked.

Senza bowed, "I'm Benjamin Jacobson, I'm Bill's older brother." He explained without hesitation and no nervous expressions, "We started the business together because we figured we could make a lot of profits by selling bombs."

Clearing his throat, Nudge replied, "I'm Jonathan Freidman." His flamboyant voice was extremely fitting of his role that the dubious look on the innkeeper's face had already been convinced that Nudge was honest, "I'm Bill's cousin and I assisted him in founding our little company."

In turn, Mako, Zuko and Niko announced their false names and their relation. All three of them were business partners. Scratching his chin, the innkeeper asked Gonzo, "There seems to be a lot of business partners with you. Why is that?"

"Uhh..." Gonzo hesitated and not for the first time, Link was sure they had been caught. However, he quickly straightened up and said, "It's because my son here is entering the tournament and I thought it look more impressive if I had my business sponsor him instead of just the family. Besides, I also had a lot of tickets, so why not bring my friends?" He added, shrugging.

"I guess that makes sense." The innkeeper said, convinced by Gonzo's words. Link then let out a breath of relief before wincing as Tetra pinched his arm, "Alright then, I'll get your room keys for you." He vanished behind the desk and a few moments later reappeared with four keys, "Your rooms are numbers 208, 210, 212 and 211. I suppose you won't be checking out tomorrow since you're here for the tournament." They nodded, "There will be an extra fee for every day you stay here. In any case, enjoy your stay."

Taking the keys from him, Gonzo led the group up the stairs to the second floor. Once they were there, they did not have to walk far to get to their rooms that were only a few doors down from the stairwell. Then, for the first time since Kakariko Port Town, Tetra acknowledged the group.

"Alright." She spoke to them quietly, "We're dropping off our stuff and then we're taking Link to the registration desk at the Arena. Got it?" The pirates nodded and gathered their stuff together. Tetra then turned to Link, "Are you ready for another fight, kid?"

"Huh?" He blinked at Tetra, "What do you mean 'another fight'? I thought I just had to register to get in...?"

With a lopsided smile, she explained, "Well... that's not the case." Moving her eyes to one side, she explained, "You see, there are so many swordsmen who enter the tournament that it would be impossible to have them all fight. The tournament who take weeks if they did that. So, everyone who registers has to take a sort of preliminary test; you have to fight with one of the examiners."

"Oh, I see..." Link answered, feeling that he understood the situation now, "I'll bet the examiner is pretty strong." He added.

"Actually, they aren't." Tetra corrected, "Whether or not you beat the examiner doesn't matter as long as you show that you have skill. In other words," She paused, letting her gaze pierce his body, "you have to show off. You have to toy with the examiner for a decent amount of time, but not for too long, otherwise, you'll get thrown for wasting time.

"On the other hand," she continued, "if you beat the examiner right off the bat, you'll won't get in at all because the other examiners won't have any idea what your skills are. So you have to be careful, got it?"

"Yeah."

Link had not expected a preliminary fight for the registration. He felt very tired and it was questionable whether or not he could fight in this state. At the same time, however, his flaming determination to get into the tournament—pushed him to overcome any and every obstacle that blocked his path. It seemed to him that the requirements of registering for the tournament had increased since Orca told him about it all, now the registration appeared to be more of a gamble rather than a procedure.

After putting their extra belongings, trinkets, articles and other such things away in their rooms; the pirates, Link, and Tetra gathered themselves together outside of their rooms and left the tavern for the registration hall near the Arena. This time the group would be traveling by foot as there was no wagon station close to the _Sword & Shield Tavern_.

The streets were still overflowing with groups of people, all heading in different directions and slowing the traffic through the streets. There were some alleyways between the buildings, but none took those paths, some tried to keep away from such places as if it were fatal to enter. Because of where he had been raised, Link did not understand the dangers of the city and wandering alone. Even in a place so near to the Royal Family, there were gangs and thieves in the darker places, waiting to pounce on a naïve traveler or the foolish wanderer. The city was gleaming on the outside, but it carried shadows within.

As they continued down the street, swimming through the massive crowds to save a little precious time, Link noticed that the shops on the sides of the streets just didn't seem to end. If there had not been any walls around the castle, the young warrior was sure that the myriad of shops would have extended all the way to the Sea.

This legion of vendors was, as Link observed, causing some disputes between the merchants that was leading to heated arguments and sometimes violent squabbles. One such feud that the islander beheld comprised of a fletcher and a blacksmith angrily grappling with each other for a spot that a potions merchant quietly stole while they were occupied. This type of behavior was surprisingly common; it saddened Link to see that most of vendors were only in the town because of their own greed and not for the spirit of the occasion.

Despite all this, the spirits of almost everyone in the area were not dampened at all. The excitement of the tournament was the dominating emotion of the people and they could care less if it was a fletcher or a blacksmith as long as they would get to see a grand fight in the next few days. Like an iron fist, this contagious euphoria gripped the whole of Hyrule Castle, and its city.

Then, there was a loud cheer in the distance and the crowd ahead of the pirates suddenly parted and opened a clear path. Link looked up and saw two large men, one in bright red with a thick white beard and piercing yellow eyes. He was old, but not elderly as his face still shimmered with some remnant of youth. Link immediately knew who it was even though the islander had never seen royalty because of his crown—this person was the King of Hyrule. The other man, with skin that was even darker than Tetra's strode beside his majesty. Both of their visages were pleasantly smiling at the crowd of people.

"It's the King! All hail our lord, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule! The King of Red Lions!" All in the area bowed, even Gonzo, Tetra and the others bowed low in the presence of his majesty. Link wisely followed suit, although he kept adjusting his posture wondering which position was appropriate for someone of such great stature.

Daphnes waved the bow aside and said, "Now, now, there is no need for that." Indeed, it was no wonder he was called the King of Red Lions, his voice rumbled with the strength of one, yet there was an apparent gentle tone to it. "You all know that I come out often to see you all and it delights me to see my people enthralled with the spirit of this traditional competition!"

A loud resounding cheer shot out of the crowd even before the King had finished his words, but he waved them aside sheepishly. With a smile he said, "Please, my people. Don't mind me. I want to enjoy the festivities as much as the rest of you. So don't let my royal presence distract you from the celebration. As you know, this is our sixty-third Annual Swordsman Tournament and once again, my friend, adviser and long-time standing champion, Ganondorf, our local gerudo, here will be participating." He pointed to the the dark man beside him, who bowed in response.

He was a large man, not a fat one, but a bulky one. Ganondorf had a handsome face, but not a lot of hair. What he did have was very striking though, he had a thin beard of a vibrant red color that connected with his sideburns and the rest of his hair on the back of his head. Like the hylians, the gerudo had long ears. He wore a long, dark, hood-less robe, with sleeves that extended almost beyond his hands. Despite his dark appearance, he had a very friendly grin on his face.

Wondering who Ganondorf was, Link overheard a conversation on the side between a merchant and a swordsman, "Ganondorf? Isn't he the King of the Gerudos in the west?" The swordsman asked.

"Yeah, he's _the_ Ganondorf Dragmire." The merchant responded, "He's quite a leader, helping the King hold the castle together since his other adviser, whose name escapes me, left because of some strange reason. That gerudo has been quite an asset to the Royal Family. First with Princess Zelda vanishing and then the other adviser leaving. He's had a lot of work on his hands. It amazes me how he can still participate in the Tournament like this."

The words stunned Link, he had remembered reading about the Royal Family and how the King always had two advisers to assist him. The advisers were given a lot of work that they split between the two of them to help the King make decisions. The fact that Ganondorf did all the work now and still had time for pleasantries amazed him.

"Now, my friends!" The King said, "Carry on with your business. I'm sure all of you have much to do this fine day." There was another arousing cheer, a bow and the people dispersed. Most did as Daphnes has asked, but many went straight to Ganondorf, eager to communicate with him. To Link's surprise, Ganondorf welcomed all who came to him and he began to talk with the others, telling a rather humorous and witty joke inbetween that made everyone, even Link, laugh.

Enjoying the presence of the adviser throughly, Link was surprised when Tetra suddenly yanked on his arm, forcing him forward with a jerk, "Eh? What are you doing?" He asked, looking at Tetra "I know we're in a hurry, but can't we stay awhile? Ganondorf is really- huh?" Tetra wasn't smiling. In fact, Link could barely see her face as she had pulled the hood much further over her head. There was no smile on her face and he thought he had seen a flicker of terror and anger in her eyes, "Wha-what's wrong...?"

"Just move." Her voice was dark and hasty.

"What? What do you-?"

"Just do it, kid." Tetra scowled, her voice quivered slightly, "Don't you dare disobey me! We don't need _his_ attention." At first, he thought she was angry, but then he saw her eyes. The appearance shocked him—Tetra's confident blue eyes were now filled with a mixture of hatred and fear.

Link was shocked, he couldn't understand why Tetra seemed to be so anxious to get away from the adviser. Looking back at Ganondorf, the islander couldn't see how such a warm person could be frightening. Ganondorf was funny, smart, friendly, cheerful and witty. From what Link could tell, he was a perfect role model.

But at the same time, the terror behind Tetra's voice awoke an unnamed, yet familiar fear. There was some hidden thing about the gerudo that Link had encountered before, but he couldn't remember what. The aroused feeling in his heart split his feelings. Now Link wasn't sure if he wanted to stay or if he wanted to leave, perhaps even run.

"Come on, guys... let's go!" Gonzo said to Link and Tetra, making them turn around. There was a nervous look on Gonzo's own face that would have matched Tetra's anxiety if he wasn't trying to suppress it, "Quickly!" It suddenly struck Link that the pirates understood Tetra's feelings and perhaps even shared them; they hated and feared Ganondorf too.

"... O-okay..." Link said, swallowing, "Let's go then." This time he and Tetra both pulled equally away from Ganondorf. The fact that Tetra and the pirates were afraid of him made up his mind. There was something wrong with Ganondorf, even though Link still couldn't figure out what it was.

As Tetra and Link caught up with Gonzo and the others, the pirates turned to lead the way to the registration desk at the arena, but as they did, a deep voice called out to them. Even without having had heard his voice, Link knew it was the gerudo. The pirates stopped midway in their step and exchanged nervous glances while Tetra pulled her hood even further over her face and squeezed Link's arm. Her blood was rushing so vigorously that Link could feel her rapid pulse through his arm.

"Hey, kid! You with the sword!" Link swallowed, straightened his face and turned around casually, reminding himself to look natural as to not arouse any suspicion. The pirates turned around as well, each had straightened their face and put on a false smile or casual look, like masks covering their fear. Tetra, on the other hand did not turn around. Instead, to Link's surprise she left his arm, pretending to see something of interest behind them and ran off. Zuko followed her in the pretense that he was chasing a renegade child.

"Yes?" Link asked, trying not to sound impudent or tense, "What is it, Mister Ganondorf?" He saw Daphnes, who's attention had been caught by Ganondorf's call, probably because children didn't normally carry weapons with them.

The adviser chuckled, "'Mister?' Please, just call me Ganondorf. That's fine. I'm sorry to trouble you, my boy, but your sword and shield piqued my curiosity and I would like to know, are those real?" The people around him began to chatter loudly and Link overheard all of them doubting his sword's validity.

"No," He corrected the doubters around the gerudo King, "They're are real. My master gave me this sword for my birthday recently." The people responded by eying him with a look of shock and sudden fear, even Daphnes was looking apprehensive.

"I thought so." Ganondorf chuckled. His response surprised his peers and even Link. Rubbing his chin, the gerudo explained, "No parent or guardian in their right mind would give their kid a weapon if they knew he or she didn't know how to use it." Smirking at Link he observed, "You look like a strong boy. I will bet that you have been training for years with that weapon." Link nodded in response. Ganondorf put his large hands behind his head and mused out loud, "It should be an interesting tournament... we've never had a child before."

"Uh... yeah." Gonzo chimed in, clearing his throat, "Speaking of which, we better get to the registration desk, son." He put his hand on Link's shoulder and looked at Ganondorf, although his eyes did not meet the adviser's, "If you're Ganondorf, you'll be in the tournament as well?"

"Of course!" He responded warmly, "I'd never skip it for anything! Not even the Triforce would suffice to lure me away from the excitement of a duel. There's nothing better..." Bowing his head to Link he added, "You'd better be off then, there are still a lot of people trying to gain a place in the brackets. I hope to see you in the Arena, kid. I'm interested in seeing your skill."

Link nodded, he was still feeling tense, but Ganondorf's friendliness had overcome him and he smiled, "Yeah, sure. Well... we better go, see you in the Arena then." He waved, not knowing how he could have been suspicious of the gerudo in the first place. Ganondorf waved back and returned to socializing with his audience.

Gonzo, Link and the others headed up the street again. The pirates seemed rather relieved to be out of Ganondorf's presence and Link was still perplexed about the situation. The question bothered him like an itch he wanted to scratch, but he knew that if he asked the pirates what was going on, their plan might be overheard, so he restrained himself.

A ways down the road, they met up with Tetra, who was still pretending to run away from Zuko. When she saw them, she faked tripping and falling over; allowing an exhausted Zuko to finally catch her. reuniting her with Link and the pirates. When she took a hold of his arm again, Link could tell that Tetra had calmed down, even though it was obvious that she was still disturbed.

He expected some sort of repercussion from Tetra, but she said nothing the whole way to the Arena. The excitement in the air around the group had been sucked out by the recent events and had been replaced by a gloomy feeling. The tension was gone, but the absence of talk between the group was now beginning to bother Link more so than the tension did.

But it wasn't long (although it felt like it) before the Arena came into sight and Link was once again swept away by the awesome sight of it. Towering above all the buildings in the town, including the massive castle walls was the gray-stoned coliseum where the Annual Swordsman Tournament would be taking place. Only Hyrule Castle itself was capable of dwarfing the colossal cylinder-shaped Arena.

There was a large archway at the bottom of the arena that led inside, probably to where the registration desk was. Link could see a fairly sizable line of warriors and their sponsors collected outside the entrance, waiting for their chance to prove themselves to the examiners. Some of the warriors impatiently waited for the their turn, while others quietly stood in line or chatted with the other warriors. None of them seemed to approach Link or his sponsors.

And so, they waited yet again in another line; this time, however, did not bother Link at all—he had been waiting for years for this and he could wait a little longer. Even so, the tournament wasn't for a few days, so there was no point in complaining. Orca had also taught him that a true warrior had patience and temperance in all things.

_"The strong swordsmen are the ones who wait and look for openings."_ Link recalled his master's words to him, _"Those that do not think and rush into their opponent will find their enemy's blade impaled upon them."_ Thinking deeply about Orca, Link began to wonder about his friends, Aryll and his Grandmother on Outset. A feeling of homesickness overcame him as he thought of their wellbeing and hoped that they were alright.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Tetra nudged him, "It's our turn now," she whispered to him. Looking up, Link saw the giant archway before him. Apparently the time had passed rather quickly while he had been delving into his mind; for he noted that the sun was beginning to set.

"Well, let's go!" Link exclaimed, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins, "What are we waiting for?" The pirates and their leader could not help themselves, but grin at Link's enthusiasm. So, without another word, the group passed under the archway and into the halls of the arena. The inside was completed made of stone with many torches lining the walls, but their light was too feeble as the the curving halls resembled a dungeon, save the light coming from archway entrance.

There were arched openings every so often on the interior walls that led to the inner-most area of the Arena where the warriors would fight. On the opposite walls, and even less often than the openings, were wood doors, carved to match the archway that they were set into. Looking down the halls, Link could see some staircases on the sides that obviously led to the stands where the sponsors and the spectators would be sitting during the event.

At each of the doors and each of the openings leading to the inner field, there were two guards positioned for defense. Every one of the them wore a similar chain mail and iron helmet uniform with the crest of the Royal Family on their chests. Carrying spears, each guard's face carried a look of seriousness and focus.

Not sure where to go, Senza approached one of the guards and asked, "Excuse me, but do you know, perchance, where the registration desk is in this place?"

The guard looked at Senza and blinked as if coming out of a trance, "The registration desk?" He repeated and then suddenly his face split into a smile that was rather uncharacteristic of him. "Why yes!" he said, "I know where that is." He pointed down the hall to Senza's left, "That way, the fourth door down. There should be a sign on the door, unless Marcus has switched the signs again."

"Thank you very much." Senza bowed. Link and the others bowed with him to show their respect.

"You're welcome! And good luck getting in." He cheerfully said, "I hope you have better luck than me..." He added with a sheepish grin, scratching his head, "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my post." And with that, he returned to his stance that he had before Senza had approached him.

Gonzo and the others led the way down the hall. They all made sure to count four doors down and checked with each other in case one of them miscounted. Fortunately, it seemed that 'Marcus' had not switched the signs this time around as Link and the pirates reached the fourth door to find a sign on it that said:

"Registration Desk – Apply Here!"

"Here we are." Gonzo smiled, "Come on, let's go in and have a look, eh?" He opened the door and the group went inside.

The registration office was much brighter than the corridors—considering the fact that it was smaller than the corridors and thus the light from the torches on the walls illuminated the room more easily. The walls also had, besides torches, shields and swords hung up on the walls of the registration room. On the right side of the room sat a long wood table with three examiners sitting at the desk, while a fourth, dressed like a guard, stood by on the side. To the left, there was a medium sized space with a red mat on the ground. Link figured that area would be where fought the preliminary match.

As the group entered, the examiners hailed them, the first two were fairly well-aged men wearing cotton robes. Despite their age, they both looked very healthy and possibly participated in the tournament in the past. The third examiner was a fit young woman, probably about in her mid twenties. The first examiner, whose robe was a greenish brown said, "I suppose you are here to register?"

"Yes." Gonzo responded, "I'm William Jacobson and these are some family members and business friends. I just entered the bomb market and I wanted to sponsor my son, Link, here in the tournament." He place his hands on Link's shoulders, "I know he's a child, but he's pretty good with that sword his teacher gave him."

"Ah, yes." The other examiner, whose robe was blue, said, "'The child fencer.' Yes, the news has traveled here that a boy would be entering the tournament." He sighed, "As much I as don't want to let children in, there are no rules against registering a child. Please remember though that we or the Royal Family are not responsible for any injuries or fatal wounds your child might receive during the competition."

"Alright, that's fine." Gonzo consented, "So how do we start?"

The woman pulled out a form and placed it on the table, "First, you must fill this form out with your participant's information." She explained mechanically, "Then, we will begin with the preliminary match to see how the kid does and whether or not we can get him a place in the event."

"I see." The pirate replied, taking the form and looking it over. He suddenly realized with a pang that he could not fill out the form completely as it asked certain things such as height and weight that Gonzo didn't know about Link. He shot a cautious glance at Tetra, who returned it equally.

"Let your child fill it out." The woman said, almost sensing Gonzo's difficulties, "If he needs help, you're free to help him." She pulled out a feathered pen from her desk and asked, "Do you need a pen by the way?"

"Oh yes! I left mine in the tavern on accident." He lied, in reality Gonzo didn't really have a quill feather pen. On the other hand, Tetra did, but she never really let the pirates touch it. He took the pen and handed it and the form to Link.

Fortunately, Sturgeon had taught Link how to read and write, so he didn't need much help from Gonzo. Though he had some trouble in the section of the form called "Style" until Tetra whispered in his ear and explained that style meant the participants' battle style. There were four styles: one-handed, two-handed; dual-wield, and sword and board. Link filled out 'sword and board' since he used a shield.

After he was done filling out the registration form, Link handed the sheet to Gonzo, who in turn gave it back to the examiners. Each of them looked it over carefully and after awhile they approved of it. The one in the brown robe said, "Now then, Link. If you'd step over to the red mat on the left, we can begin the preliminary match."

"Okay." Link walked over to the red mat and turned back to face Tetra and pirates. The pirate girl pulled a wide, fake smile and cheered him on. Again, Link found it difficult to keep his face from going red. Gonzo and the others acknowledged him as well by giving him an encouraging thumbs-up or nodding approvingly.

The guard-like examiner walked onto the mat and examined Link carefully. Wearing leather armor and carrying a long sword, which was not as shiny or ornate as the Royal guards' blades were. He had an expression of doubt on his face as he took in Link with his eyes. Shrugging, the examiner said, "I dunno what your family is thinking, putting you in this tournament, but I guess that's how it is. You better be good or you'll be sent home packing, kid."

Drawing his sword, Link responded, "I know that already. But that's not stopping me from trying." He added defiantly, arming his shield, "I've been waiting for this for a long time and I'm not going to let this stop me."

"Suit yourself." The fencing examiner responded, "Let's begin then." He bowed to Link and drew his own weapon. Bowing in a similar fashion, Link jumped back and positioned himself into a defensive stance. If he had to show off to the examiners, then he was going to show them that he could defend and attack very well.

The fencing examiner struck first and swung his blade down onto Link. Quickly, the young warrior brought his shield up in defense, but suddenly the examiner took his sword away and swiftly attempted to stab Link under his shield. Using his own sword, Link knocked the examiner's weapon away and rolled out of the range of following vertical slash.

His opponent's attacks were fast and constant, it was obvious that he had noticed Link's defensive stance and began to attack repeatedly as to not allow the boy to counter-attack. Without being able to counter, the examiners would most likely throw Link's registration away. _I'm not going to allow that!_ He thought, with strong determination filling his body.

Remembering a technique Orca had taught him, Link parried the next blow from the examiner. Even though the examiner was counting on the swordsman's constant defensive, he did not expect Link to use a parry as a way of attacking—and he did—as soon as the long sword clashed with Orca's sword, Link pushed forward with a sudden burst of strength and rolled around the examiner to his back. Rolling onto his feet, Link jumped up quickly in spiral slashing out at the examiner's back.

Falling forward, the examiner leaped back up and turned around, wincing, "Ah! That hurt, darn it!" Dashing forward, he prepared to thrust his blade into Link, but the islander had already expected the assault and had ready a counter-attack. As the examiner leaped upon Link, the boy brought his sword behind him and spun around in a whirlwind, knocking the examiner to the ground.

Now it was Link's turn to strike, leaping forward he jumped up with the sword behind his head and slammed it down on the examiner, who barely brought his own blade up to parry it in time. They exchanged blows, but soon Link was getting the upper hand, cornering the examiner. With one last blow, the islander knocked the sword out of the examiner's hands.

"_Stop!_" The female examiner shouted from the table, "Good job, kid. Link has won. All of you come over here" They all gathered around the desk to listen to the results. The three stood up and the fourth joined him, "That was very good. We are all quite impressed with your performance." The examiners nodded, each of them held a smile on their face. Tetra and her pirates were also impressed as they were beaming at him.

"So..." Said the one in blue, "We've looked over your form and watched your fighting abilities and we decided to enter you. You've proven that you are well-skilled in defense, offense and techniques. Congratulations, kid."

There was a shout of joy from the group and each of the pirates congratulated Link individually. Fortunately in their excitement, they remembered their identities and even overacted their relationships to him (Gonzo kept saying, "That's my boy!" over and over). Tetra was smiling as well and Link could tell that she was not pulling an act this time, she was truly impressed with his performance.

"I'll be rooting for you in the stands," The examiner who had fought with him said, much to everyone's surprise, "I never thought a kid would make it into the Swordsman Tournament. You better do well, even though there is no chance you'll beat Ganondorf."

"Why not?" Link asked curiously.

"You might..." He responded, "But believe me, I've fought every single of those people who have last the longest against him and he's still the undefeated champion." He chuckled, "Though if you keep training like the way you are, you'll probably beat him one day. Your skill is impressive for a kid. You must work darn hard."

"I do." Link said humbly. He was no expert or natural at sword fighting, and he did not brag about his skill; albeit only sometimes because everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Right now, he was just happy to be in the tournament; he no longer cared about winning.

"Well then." The brown-robed examiner said, "The tournament starts in three days at about ten o'clock in the morning. Be sure to report here for attendance and we'll point you to the waiting room for participants." He smiled and added, "We hope to see you then." Turning to the other examiners he said, "This will be an interesting competition, eh?" The others nodded in agreement.

Link was completely charged by the electric atmosphere. _I made it... I'm in the tournament!_ He was living his dream and was finally able to prove his strength.


	11. Chapter 10: Preparation Time

Chapter 10: Preparation Time

So it was on; Link had made it into the tournament and the plan to snatch the _Ocarina of Time_ was under way. For the next few days the young islander would have to train with Gonzo and the others to keep his skill from waining and to create a long-enough distraction for Tetra and the pirates to get the Ocarina from the _Temple of Time;_ this was their only chance.

That night, Tetra called for a meeting and summoned the pirates to her room in the _Sword & Shield Tavern_. Waiting for the others, Link sat on his bed and watched the pirate girl take a seat on the window sill. She had changed her clothes and discarded the dress for the day; however, she left her hair into pigtails as it was too much trouble to change to the curl and back again. The pirate captainess noticed Link staring at her and shot a glance at him. Blushing a little, Link avoided Tetra's gaze and took a look at the door.

The voices of still-lingering celebrators were still faintly audible from the outside of the tavern. Usually, Castle Town was silent at night; however, around this time of year, everyone stayed up late to sing, drink and make merry on every evening leading up to the big day. The streets were illuminated by the lights of dozens of torches, and Link was awed at the sight of Castle Town at night. He had never seen so many cheerful people stay up so late and it made him worry that the pirates might be eager to join in on the celebration.

Showing her foresight, however, Tetra decided that every night the meetings would be held in alternating rooms. In this way, she could keep an eye on each of the pirates and prevent any of them from going off to have a good drink. While Tetra was very adamant against drinking period, she strongly engraved it into the pirates' minds to avoid the temptation at all costs. She did not want to find any one of them in a drunken stupor, spilling all their plans onto the floor.

Now Link sat in the room with a increasingly impatient Tetra while the pirates seemed to be taking their sweet time to get to their room; it was already suspicious considering that their rooms were right next to Tetra's and Link's own. The young swordsman heard the pirate captainess murmur something about Gonzo and the others celebrating against her will as well as a sharp intake of breath which, Link was positive, was used to cover a curse.

Whether it was his fear, his boredom or his curiosity, Link asked Tetra, "So... what about you and Ganondorf, Tetra? You were really anxious to leave when we ran into him earlier today and you surprised me when you ran off so suddenly. It's like..." He paused, letting his heart slow down, "... you were trying to escape from him. What happened between you and him?"

Tetra smirked unpleasantly, "What happened? You want to know what happened?" She repeated, suppressing a tone of anger in her voice, "... You don't need to know, kid," she said coldly.

"What?" Link didn't catch the tension in the air, "Come on now... I don't see what's wrong with him. He seems nice enough-"

Suddenly Tetra cut him off, "Nice!?" She yelled with her eyes flaring up dangerously, giving Link a scare as he jumped, nearly falling onto his bed. She breathed deeply and took control over herself, combing her hair back, "... He's not nice... not nice at all." Frowning, she added, "Ganon and I... have had our... _differences._"

"Ganon? Differences?" Link asked gently, hoping not to spark another outburst.

Tetra inclined her head darkly, there was no cocky smirk or confident smile on her face, "Yes," she had decided to explain it to him after all. "Ganondorf Dragmire is known by some people by his alias: Mandrag Ganon. Though, it seems only his closest friends or his worst enemies call him that. Not even Daphnes, the King of Red Lions calls him by his alias." There was a dark tone in her voice as if to suggest something dark or underhanded about Ganondorf. The tension in the room reminded him of the vivid look on Tetra's face earlier that day.

_"Wha-what's wrong?"_

_"Just move."_

_"What? What do you-?"_

_"Just do it, kid. Don't you dare disobey me! We don't need his attention."  
_  
"So... so what happened?" He dared to ask, the image of her visage still imprinted into his mind.

"... Let's just say we hate each other." Tetra replied grimly, "He and I have run into each other on numerous occasions and we've almost always been enemies. He's assisted the Royal Family in trying to capture me, but he hasn't succeeded in doing so."

"But... then he's just like any other captain or general trying to capture you, right?" Link asked, he was again simply confused. "I mean..." he added quickly, hoping not to raise her temper, "why do you hate him so much if Ganondorf is just like the other guards?"

"Because he's not like the other guards or captains," Tetra answered. She flashed her eyes at him more calmly this time, "I respect the Royal Family's military and their guards," she explained, "They are out there to do their duty and to protect the people of Hyrule and the King. If any of them were to capture me, I would hold no grudge." She nodded her head sharply and then frowned more deeply, "But Ganon isn't out there for others, he's out there for himself."

A dark half-smile spread on Tetra's face as she glanced at Link, "I see... I've got your attention." she noted his expression before sighing deeply, "I was not really planning on telling you this, kid, but... since we've gotten this far, I might as well tell you." Link's gaze didn't waver from Tetra this time. He waited anxiously for what she was going to say, "I'm going to tell something very important... do not share it openly with anyone, got it?"

Swallowing, Link nodded slowly.

"Ganondorf is not a selfless person." Tetra repeated, but with more force this time, "He is the reason we must steal the _Ocarina of Time_ from the Royal Family's hands." Link's jaw dropped, but Tetra ignored it and continued, her voice was serious, "Ganon is waiting, waiting for the right moment to take the Ocarina and use it to open the Door of Time in the Temple to get to the _Triforce_. He is extremely greedy and is willing to do anything, except tarnish his 'perfect' image, to get the Golden Power."

Link dared a question, "But... the King rules Hyrule, right? So, wouldn't Ganon share the _Triforce_ with the King?" The idea that Daphnes was in on with Ganondorf to get the _Triforce_ was even more unbelievable to Link. The King of Red Lions seemed to resemble a kind and jovial old grandfather, the type that children tended to flock to.

Tetra laughed skeptically, "The King isn't in on it," she replied, eying Link, "He doesn't even know, nor does he suspect that Ganondorf is plotting to take the _Triforce_. Moreover, Ganondorf doesn't care about Daphnes, he'd never share power with the King." She folded her arms and closed her eyes, "Daphnes probably doesn't know that Ganon is going to back-stab him, after all, the King trusts his 'right-hand man'." She snorted, but then she opened her eyes and Link saw a glimmer of concern flicker inside, "As if he could trust him..."

"But he seemed so friendly... and everyone seemed to like him." Link pointed out, "If he's so evil, why is he so popular? Why is so loved?"

"Because he's pulling an act," Tetra explained quietly. "Just like me when I'm pretending to be your little sister in order to make people believe I'm innocent and harmless. Ganon is similar, he pretends to love the people and to care in order to be popular. Anyone who is prideful and ambitious for power knows that you have to play the good kid to be liked." Frowning, she added, "And if you're well-liked, no one will suspect you as a malignant being... anyone intelligent that is... it's the perfect cover."

"I... I see..." He responded gingerly, not sure whether or not to believe her. It seemed to Link that she shared the same traits with Ganondorf; but something in his heart, something warm, told him he could trust her. After all, she wasn't popular with the people; she was hated while Ganondorf was loved, placing himself in a much better position take the Ocarina. He was the King's adviser and Link reasoned with his heart that he could easily make up an official excuse to use it. "So, you're afraid that Hyrule will be plunged into darkness?" Link asked her.

Tetra's face curled into a smile, "You know about the legend of the _Creation_, kid? That's quite impressive..."She remarked, then she hesitated before asking, "So... you know from that legend how the _Triforce_ works and what will happen when you use it?"

Link inclined his head, "Yeah... Sturgeon taught me how it worked. When a person takes hold of the _Triforce_, they can make any wish they want. If it is a righteous wish and the heart is pure, they will lead Hyrule in an era of glory and prosperity. But... if it is a wicked wish and the heart is corrupt, Hyrule will enter into an era of suffering, death and darkness."

Tetra blinked and nodded at the young warrior, clearly amazed that he knew so much, "That's right... and... I am afraid of that darkness..." There was sincere fear in her voice, "Very afraid... that's why I must do all that I can to prevent that darkness from overwhelming Hyrule."

The islander nodded reverently and then asked, "Do the others know know about this?"

"Of course they do." Tetra answered, "There's no other reason why they would follow me to face such a dangerous task." She looked up at the ceiling, "... I know... you probably find all of this hard to believe, don't you?" she asked him, bringing her eyes down to lock with his.

Sitting there on his bed across from Tetra, Link fiddled with his fingers and looked down at his feet. Letting out a sigh of regret, she said, "I thought so..." and turned her gaze towards the window.

"No."

Tetra looked at him, clearly surprised by sudden and unexpected response, "'No'?" She repeated slowly, her eyes widened gradually "What... what do you mean by that?" There was a trace of hope in her voice.

He looked up slowly and smiled slightly, "I believe you." He said with sincerity, "You saved my life... and... I dunno. I... I feel like I can trust you." There was a burning in his chest that came with a small voice that told him that she was truly concerned for Hyrule's fate. At first, he just wondered if he only trusted her because he had a crush on her, but he realized that he was not blushing and felt a comforting peace in his heart. His crush had nothing to do with this.

Tetra smiled at him; it was a different smile than all the others; elegant and gentle—something that Link would have expected to seem out of place with a person like the pirate girl. Instead, this new smile seemed, astonishingly, to suit her perfectly. It as if she were removing a mask and Link was seeing a "different" Tetra.

"Thank you, Link." She said his name in a way that he did not expect; it was full of respect that was usually uncommon in Tetra's voice and it caused him to blush. Tetra continued, "I'm glad that you believe my words... that makes seven people that believe me," she counted the them off with her fingers.

Then, there was a long pause that began to make the both of them uncomfortable. Then, Tetra's smile vanished and she began to become impatient. "I wonder where those boys have gotten to?" She mused, breaking the awkward silence.

Link stood up from his bed immediately, "I could go see what they are doing and bring them over here... if you want." But as soon as he said it, there was a knock on door and a familiar voice calling from the outside.

"Ahoy in there!" It was Senza's voice. Smiling, Link ran up to the door and opened it to see the grinning group of pirates, "We're here!" Each of them were still dressed in their merchant attire in order to avoid suspicion. Link let the pirates enter the room; they greeted their leader graciously as Link closed and locked the door behind them, but Tetra didn't have a warm welcome ready for them.

"It's about time!" Tetra said rather coolly and getting off of the window-sill. "Link and I have been waiting a good hour for you guys to show up..." Half-smiling, she added rather ominously, "I hope, for your sake, that you didn't go drinking or celebrating with the locals tonight. The consequences of such repeated disobedience would be... _dreadful_."

Swallowing, the pirates grinned sheepishly at her. Nudge cleared his throat and said, "Actually we didn't go out to the celebration because we were busy tending to some bothersome merchants who were a little too interested in our supposed trade."

"Yeah," Gonzo chimed in; he was looking throughly aggravated. "Those guys just wouldn't shut up; they kept asking more and more questions that I was running out of answers!" Noticing that Tetra was looking a bit distressed, Gonzo laughed and said, "Oh, don't worry Miss. I didn't tell them anything important. I just told them that our full stock wasn't with us at the moment because we're just looking for a place to setup." Glancing to the side, he added, "Mako began to talk to them soon after, they didn't understand a thing he said so they left. Good thing, too, I have a yanking feeling they would have asked where we were thinking of setting-up shop."

Tetra relaxed her breathing and exhaled. She was relieved that the pirates hadn't carelessly blurted out information that would have revealed the pirates' intentions. Tetra tilted her head to one side and smiled at them, "Good. I'm glad you all remembered what we had been practicing for a long time." She eyed each of them one by and one, "I hope none of you panicked..."

Senza allowed himself a laugh, "Nah... we kept our pants dry. ... Maybe except Niko." He added with a sly glance at the beaver-like pirate. The other pirates joined him in giving him the same look, the corners of their mouths twisted into teasing smiles and grins.

Niko frowned sourly, "Oh... shut up," he said defensively. "I wasn't scared a bit! I knew we'd outsmart those idiots on the road. We had no problem at all! None!" Folding his arms proudly, Niko looked like a beaver that had just finished the finest dam in all the world.

Gonzo leaned into the other pirates, "That's because he never opened his mouth, eh, mateys?" He whispered gleefully into their ears. Sharing a silent snicker together, the pirates took one last glance at a slightly confused Niko (who was interested in what they were saying, but couldn't hear them at all) and then turned their attention to Tetra.

Her face was beaming, "Excellent! You all are making me very proud considering some of our most recent blunders..." She noted, making them feel a little guilty; but she then quickly added to brush her previous message away, "But that's not important anymore!" The pirates faces lit up with smiles all across, "Now, everyone take a seat, I'm going to plot out the next few days for us."

Each of the pirates took a position in the room. Gonzo sat down at the edge of Tetra's bed, while Niko climbed up next to him. Nudge and Zuko took Link's bed across from Tetra's while Senza, Mako and Link sat down on the floor while Tetra took up her usual place by the windowsill. All eyes and bodies turned to face the pirate captainess in order to give their full attention.

After examining each and every one of her companions to make sure they were all there, Tetra proceeded to plot out the week, "Alright, we're all here; let's start. You all know that we have four days until the tournament starts. During these upcoming days we are going to be training Link so he won't lose his fighting edge. And yes, we're going to have to do it in our merchant attire as we cannot be seen as pirates." She added, answering the questioning look on some of the pirates' faces, which unfortunately, only led to expressions of anxiety.

"Oh no... we're going to get really sweaty in those clothes, Miss Tetra." Zuko pointed out from Link's bed, he was almost leaning off the edge of the mattress, "That's going to be a problem... we can't wear the same clothes everyday, unless we use a lot of cologne." He added spitefully.

To Zuko's, and the other pirates', relief, Tetra nodded in agreement, "Yes. That's right, we are going to get really sweaty, especially Link. So, Niko won't be the only one washing clothes." Shocked expressions were exchanged like money across their faces, "That means we'll all being washing clothes, that includes Link and I."

Niko was the only one of the group who seemed to embrace this piece of news pleasantly. Nudge barely cleared his throat to protest, "Washing!? Ah... Miss... I really don't wash clothes, really." The others had similar protests with various groans of despair, agony and just general whining. Again, they were foolishly trying Tetra's patience.

"Knock it off!" She blurted out, "What the heck is wrong with all of you? Do you want to smell bad? Don't you remember what I said at Windfall?" Waiting for a reply, her question went unanswered by word, but it was obvious by expression that the pirates did not want to reek like the dead, "I suppose you should know, even through I already told you, that even _I am_ going to be washing clothes. That ought to tell you boys something."

"Sorry..." Was their mumbled reply; all of them feeling guilty over their outburst. Gonzo spoke for the group, "We'll wash..."

"That's better," Tetra said, looking considerably less aggravated. "Now then... as I was saying, we'll be training Link until the tournament starts." Wrapping her fingers together, the pirate captainess hesitated, thinking of the best way to place her next words on the table. A minute passed and Tetra untied her fingers, "Well, the tournament itself will be the tricky part. Link," the islander looked up curiously at her, "The tournament is where you become the most important part of this mission."

_Me?_ He thought, repeating Tetra's words in his mind, _The most important part of this mission?_ _What does she mean by that?_ He shook his head, "But I'm just fighting, aren't I?" He asked, scratching the back of head absentmindedly, "I mean, that's not that important, is it?"

Tetra laughed, amused by his comments, "Kid, if you were just fighting, why would we sponsor you? Why would we be even using the tournament?" She grinned, Link was just like a child; he needed people to explain everything to him. Sighing, Tetra pushed a rogue strand of hair back behind her head and said, "You're important because you have to distract everyone, including the guards.

"The guards, although they are _technically_ supposed to watch the _Temple of Time_, love a good fight and they will be willing to leave their post absent for a few minutes. So, Link... I want you to show off your skills, but don't be cocky, be skilled. A young twelve-year old kid fighting with a sword tactfully will attract a lot of eyes. That will make it easier for us to sneak into the temple and take the _Ocarina of Time_."

"Oh... I see..." Link nodded, he couldn't help but smile. While he knew that he wasn't better than everyone else, his years of hard work and training were being acknowledged by Tetra—now his crush kicked in and he had force away the red color, "So, I'm the distraction?"

"Yep... and you have to be a _lasting_ one." Tetra added, her voice emphasizing the importance of the word 'lasting'. Tilting her head forward, she continued, "You cannot lose within the first thirty seconds of the fight and you got to try to win as many fights as possible!" She put her right hand out, "The longer you last in the tournament," she put the other hand out, "the better chance we have of getting the Ocarina unnoticed. That's why you are important to this part of the mission."

Beaming, Link stood up and nodded at Tetra, "I'll try my best then!" Her orders were easy to follow since they fell in line with his dream. He knew that there was no way he could become the champion, but he was ready to plow through as many battles as his body could handle.

The others seemed clearly impressed with Link's courage; Tetra was smiling proudly. Feeling strengthened by the young boy's iron resolve, each of the pirates, to Tetra's surprise, stood up and saluted her one by one (even Niko, the swabbie, whose goofy countenance looked almost noble in this stance). "We'll do our best too, Miss Tetra!" They said with unwavering voices.

"Oh good! Now then..." She continued to explain, "While Link is fighting, as I said, we're going to sneak into the temple and take the Ocarina. We'll split up into two groups, one will stay behind and watch the tournament to avoid suspicion. I will be dividing the groups. First, the group heading into the temple will be" she pointed at each of the pirates in her selected order, "Gonzo and Nudge, along with myself. The second group will be Senza, Mako, Zuko and Niko. You four will need stay behind to keep an eye on Link's progress." She folded her arms again, "Does anyone have any questions?"

The pirates shook their heads.

"Alright then." Tetra smiled and clapped her hands twice, "Now it's time for bed, tomorrow we will begin the training."

-S-

The next few days were extremely busy for Link and the pirates. And as Tetra said, they would be sweating from all the work. When the early dawn broke each day, Tetra would drag her sleepy male companions out of bed to the field where Link was tested against against Gonzo, Senza, Nudge or Zuko, without any breakfast. While this prevented anticipated barfing, they were all very weak and very tired without any energy, including Tetra herself. Needless to say, Link and the pirates were very pleased to see breakfast after a long hour's struggle to hone the young swordsman's skills.

Allowing them a break to settle their food, the pirates would take turns washing the clothes. Even Link had to get his hands wet with soapy water as the pirates, one by one taught him how to clean a shirt or pants or a hat or whatever and dry it. It was tedious work, but they had to do it because, just as their leader said, they all stunk after fighting in the grass and the dirt for an hour. This also meant that everyone had to bathe constantly (though Link had no problem with that).

Poor Link was one day unfortunate enough to have Tetra as a cleaning partner. As he learned quite quickly that the pirate girl could be quite playful, despite her iron grip-like attitude as their leader. This was apparent when the beautiful girl splashed some water in Link's face as he was trying to wash Gonzo's vest and immediately turned away looking completely innocent.

"What?" She had said with a falsely innocent expression on her face, "I didn't do anything... you're imagining things, kid." Muffling a giggle, Tetra returned to cleaning a red scarf. Link eyed her suspiciously and returned to scrubbing when as soon as he had, water splashed in his face again. He glared at Tetra, swearing he had caught her grinning pleasantly to herself.

It was not long until Link realized how much Tetra liked to play pranks on him. One day, she stole his Hero's clothes and hid in the last place Link thought to look—underneath her bed. Then another day Tetra gave Link a fright by pretending to have been caught and stabbed with a weapon. When the young swordsman ran up to her to help, the pirate captainess suddenly jumped up and pinched him in the ribs, saying "Fooled you!"

At first, Link thought that Tetra was possibly flirting with him, but then realized to his mixed comfort and disappointment that she was not. In reality, being so mischievous as she was, Tetra was only teasing the islander to get a reaction; she could have been no more interested in him.

The training was the most draining task of them all; every day, Link's muscles grew increasingly sore. The pirates were allowed to use whatever techniques they thought necessary on Link as long as they used their sword to do it; and they were tough. Some of the pirates, especially Gonzo and Senza were particularly difficult, almost as challenging as Ghashar's Elites, to the young warrior. With his muscles so swollen and sore, Link was beginning to think that Tetra and the pirates were beginning to overwork his system.

One day, Tetra walked into their room and noticed Link lying flat on his bead. "Hey, what's wrong kid?" she asked him while leaning against the wall of their room.

Link shifted his green eyes towards Tetra and then groaned, "My muscles... they're so sore. I feel like I can't move." He kept his eyes on her and then realized that he had said the wrong thing. _Oh no... not again,_ the swordsman thought. There, in Tetra's eyes was a glimmer of mischief and her smile twisted into an impish grin.

"Really...?"

"A-actually... I think I'll be okay...!" Link lied quickly, he really felt like he was stuck to the bed. He swallowed as Tetra stopped leaning on the corner of the wall and began to approach Link slowly, as if she wanted to toy with him for a bit before all heck broke loose. Knowing Tetra, Link knew she was going to pull another prank—she always had that look in her eyes and that twisted grin on her face when she was up to something.

Struggling to move and to get away from Tetra, the young swordsman tried to lift up his left arm and then let out a yelp of pain. _Oh... Din forbid!_ he thought anxiously.

Unfortunately for him, Tetra was now standing next to his bed and looking at him straight in the eyes. The islander felt his face beginning to warm and he said, "R-really... I-I-I am... okay. J-just let me rest a bit."

"Or _relax_ a bit?" Tetra asked raising one brow, she sounded almost as if she were purring. "Here, let me help up off the bed, kid." Link swallowed deeply, he had no idea what the crafty pirate captainess was up to, but was in no position to struggle. Thus, Tetra grabbed him around the waist to pick him up.

"Ow ow ow!" Link cried, it seemed like she was purposely touching the muscles that were the most sore. However, at his cry, the pirate girl readjusted her grip on him, moving her hands away from the swollen muscles, and then she sat him down on the ground, sitting upwards while kneeling, "T-tetra? Wh-what are you doing?"

He heard her snort from behind, "Giving you a massage, what else?" Link was certain his heart rate had reached an all-time high when suddenly, the pirate captainess took off his shirt without much resistance.

"HEY!" Link's face was completely red like a tomato, "Wh-wh-what are y-you doing!?"

Looking at her, the islander realized that she was not smiling anymore; in fact, she looked quite annoyed. "I already told you. I'm giving you a _massage_," she growled, tossing the shirt onto Link's bed. "Sheesh," Tetra huffed, rolling her sapphire eyes, "If your shirt's on, it'll get in the way of the process. So stop whining about it."

_Maybe it's not another prank,_ Link thought hopefully turning his head away from her; but at the same time he felt guilty for raising her temper. He began to apologize when felt two smooth and soft objects stroke his back—they were Tetra's hands. Daring a glance, he saw that Tetra had sat down behind him with her legs crossed, stretching her fingers. Her eyes were dancing and her grin was twisted again and Link almost let out another groan. _I take that back, it is another prank._

Then he felt her fingers extend over his back shoulder muscles and then felt a voice next to his left ear, "_Relax_..." Tetra whispered into his ear, "Trust me... you'll feel a lot better after this," her voice carried a playful tone to it.

And then she began to massage his muscles on his back and it, indeed felt good. As Tetra's soft fingers rolled across the muscles on his back, Link felt each muscle slowly and peacefully untie itself and the strain began to go away; and the islander's true feelings could not be pushed away; it felt really good. The back-rub took about fifteen minutes or so and after Tetra removed her hands, he heard her taunt, "See? That wasn't so bad, was it? I'll even bet..." she brought her mouth to his ear again and said, "that you liked _every little_ bit of it."

Link could not lie at this point, "... yes... I did," he felt so embarrassed that he thought his head might explode (or burst into flames). "I... that... felt really good." Gasping, Link covered his mouth quickly, but the words had escaped his mouth.

"Really?" Tetra popped her head out from behind leaned against Link's shoulder, "I thought so," she snickered gleefully.

Sometimes it was just too much for Link to handle.

Fortunately, Tetra knew when to restrain herself; whenever Link was crawling into bed the pirate captainess would merely give him a tired "Good night, kid" and go to sleep without another word. On the first evening when Link couldn't sleep—half-afraid and half-hopeful—Tetra explained wearily, "Go to sleep. You need the rest more than any of us. So you don't need to worry about me bothering you." Link then also reminded himself of how Tetra called him one of the 'most important' parts of the plan; that helped him get to sleep more easily.

-S-

The days passed very quickly, vaporizing into history as the day of the Swordsman Tournament arrived with a sudden jolt. Link was up bright and early, unlike the previous days, the excitement of the coming battles had broken sleep's grip on his body.

Link was so excited for the tournament that he did not think to change his clothes before warming up and stretching out. He was still in his orange pants from the previous evening and he never wore a shirt to bed. Link stopped suddenly when he heard Tetra's voice from across the room and he looked over to see her sitting up in her bed.

She smiled at him, seemingly very impressed, "Well, well... looks like you're ready to tackle this tournament, eh, kid?" Yawning, the pirate captainess added, "You should change into your Hero's clothes that your grandmother made for you soon. We don't have a lot of time for breakfast and we don't have any time for last-minute training. This is it." Getting out of bed, she asked, "How much more stretching do you have to do, Link?"

Biting his lower lip, Link replied with a weak grin, "Um... I just started a few minutes ago... I'm going to be at this for a least a half-hour... maybe forty-five minutes." He added sheepishly, bracing himself for an explosion from the tired pirate girl, but it did not come.

Tetra merely shrugged and said, "Fine. I'll go bathe and change my clothes while you're stretching. Be sure to make your bath quick because, despite how early it is, we really don't have a lot of time; competitors in the tournament have to be at the Arena at least two hours before the spectators do."

Link stopped his current push-up in mid-air, "Two hours...?" He looked at her with a unbelieving face, "Are you serious? That's like..." He stopped to count the hours, "That's only about two hours from now!" Smirking he added, "Looks like you'll have to take a quick bath too."

"Yes... yes..." Tetra said tiredly, waving her hands in front of her a bit, "I'm going make it quick don't worry. Just keep stretching and make sure you relax yourself. This day is really important." From her tone of voice, Link could tell that Tetra, despite her warm attitude, was under a lot of pressure. Maybe even more pressure than than he was. Rubbing one of her sinuses, the young pirate girl said, "I'll be back." and walked away to go bathe.

It took her about twenty minutes to finish cleaning herself off; Link was quite surprised to see Tetra back so quickly. However, it was obvious that she was rushing, for her hair was still soaking when she walked into the room. Before the islander could comment though, Tetra got behind him and pushed him out the door suddenly and with a few short words, a towel and a change of clothes, told him to hurry and closed the door behind him.

_Oh yeah..._ Link thought, his back aching from his hasty removal from the room, _She's really stressed about this. _In order not make her wait any further, Link ran to bathing rooms as fast as he could. When he got there, he only stopped to find a free bath and immediately began to clean himself swiftly. Within ten minutes he was done and within fifteen minutes he was dry and changed, entering his room again.

There, he saw Tetra had fixed her hair into pigtails again, using red ribbons to tie them off. She was in her white dress and was just barely pulling the light-blue, hooded cloak around her stiff, tense body. She glanced at Link when he entered, acknowledging his presence, but didn't say a thing to him. Instead, she returned to getting ready, grabbing a few things such as a purple handkerchief and a dagger, which she hid under her dress.

When Link walked over to get his cap, the very jumpy pirate girl immediately turned at him with a fixed glare, "What... what's wrong with you!?" He asked, suddenly sounding very angry.

The islander looked at her very timidly, "What... what did I do? What's wrong?" He looked around at his clothes, half-expecting something to be falling off or his pants on backwards, "I don't see anything wrong, Tetra. I-" He was immediately cut off.

"_Your hair!_"Tetra exclaimed with utter disbelief that Link could miss something so obvious, "It's a mess! You can't go out there looking like that!" She franticly grabbed a yellow sash, still glaring at him, "What are you staring at? Get your hair combed, kid!"

Link frowned, this actually hurt him a bit since Tetra had commented once that while his hair was messy, it would actually look bad if it was straight. Now he felt that Tetra was half-insulting him and half-lying to him, "But... but you know that I've tried to comb it before and..."

Immediately Tetra pounced on him with a comb in her hand, holding it like a weapon and began to attack his hair, trying to get it to stay straight. Link cried out, she was being very rough and it felt like she was pulling the strands of hair out of his head, "Ow ow ow! Tetra, stop!"

She gave up and huffed, "Fine... have it your way. I can't comb the darned thing anyway." Except she hadn't said 'darned', she had cursed instead. Link, glanced at her with a rather shocked expression. He didn't say anything, fearful that Tetra might explode on him, and then he'd be in trouble. Like a frightened child, Link picked up his hat and slowly put it on his head, as if doing such a thing would provoke the already aggravated pirate captainess.

Then Tetra sat down, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm herself. After a moment, she looked at Link again, her eyes much more relaxed and asked softly, "Link... can you help me put this sash on, please?" Blinking, the islander wasn't sure at first how to respond to such a request, but unwilling to disobey her, Link nodded and walked over behind her. Taking the sash in his hands, he wrapped around her waist gently (and feeling slightly uncomfortable while he did).

She sighed, "Thank you..." Averting her gaze, she stood up and walked away slowly from Link, "Um... Link...?" He made a noise to show that he heard her, "I... I'm sorry I lashed out at you. I'm just panicky." A tentative smile drew on her pretty face, "I remember now that your hair looks better uncombed anyway... will you forgive me?"

The young swordsman's face went warm. _Do I have to blush now?_ he thought self-consciously. Smiling kindly at her, Link nodded, "Yeah... it's okay. This is a really stressful day for you. I understand," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Tetra smiled back at him, "Thank you, Link." She again said his name with kind respect, "I think it sounds like you're beginning to mature a bit." She turned away and grinned, "Especially when you didn't hit me back for flipping out at you. That was very gentlemanly of you." As he furiously tried to rub the now deep red blush out of his face, Tetra turned around and sighed, "Well, shall we go, _big brother?_" She teased, warming up her act, "Have you got everything?"

"Yeah, hold on." Link went under the bed and retrieved his sword, shield and pouches. He tied the blue, magical one that Tetra had given him back on Windfall to his belt first, then the leather one. He quickly proceeded to strap his sword and shield to his back, by this time, he was very good at it and could get his equipment on within a few seconds, "I'm ready. Do you have everything?" He asked her back.

The pirate girl nodded, "Yep. Let's go, I'll bet the others are waiting for us." Thus, they headed out the door, locking it before they closed it and headed down the stairs to the lobby of the _Sword & Shield Tavern._

-S-

For the first time, Tetra was the one who was late for a group gathering (they weren't keeping track of Link's score). The pirates were grinning rather smugly when she and the young islander had entered the lobby. After turning in their key, Tetra and Link made their way over to Gonzo and the others, who were all looking very sharp (some of them hoping that Tetra would notice how clean and well-dressed they were).

Zuko chuckled, "Yer late."

"For once." Senza added.

"Wha' happened, eh?" Gonzo laughed, using a rather teasing accent, "The first time you've been late, ever." He added emphasizing the 'ever', "Now, _Elena_, be a good girl and don't make your daddy wait for you. You're slowing Link down."

Tetra shot a glare at Gonzo, but it didn't matter; for she knew—very smugly in fact—that she would be able to get him back for his taunting. The pirate girl put on her cute, innocent little girl act and with wide, timid-looking eyes, Tetra said, "I'm so sorry, daddy. I won't do it again! Please don't take my toys away..." She ran up and hugged her 'father' sweetly, feigning tears; she got him back.

For all his work and preparation, Gonzo was not sure how to react to this one. He hated it when Tetra pulled tricks like this and even though she seemed to be crying, the pirate knew too well that his captainess was grinning, knowing full well that Gonzo had a hard time with this, "Err... I... I won't... Just... Just don't do it again, okay? Come on, we've got a half-hour until Link has to be there!"

Tetra nodded and posed cutely, smiling wide and brightly, "Okay then! Let's go!" She let a giggle escape her mouth as she ran over to Link, grabbed his arm (again, he blushed) and dragged him over to the door, "Come on, come on, big brother! It's time to go to the tournament! Yay!" Thus, Tetra and Link went out the door, followed by a very bewildered group of pirates under the identity of bomb merchants.

It was still very early, but already Link could hear the drums and the music of the festival sounding out over the town. People were waking up and getting their things ready. It was a tradition, while the swordsmen got ready at the arena, the people of the town would have a two hour long celebration of games, music, food and other things of entertainment to draw the crowds away from the arena until it was time to begin.

Gonzo shot a glare at Tetra and said under his breath, "You know we were supposed to have left the tavern 'bout thirty minutes ago, Miss?" He grumbled, "We're probably going to be late... Just what were you doing in there?"

Narrowing her eyes dangerously Gonzo, Tetra muttered to him under her breath, "Oh shut up, Gonzo. There aren't a lot of crowds around here so just run to the Arena. It won't look suspicious because everyone is running about this morning. I'm sorry I made you guys late, but what's done is done. No use in arguing about it now! Let's get going!"

Thus, the group almost ran the whole way to arena; with five minutes to spare, the tired pirate group made it to the front entrance to the arena. There, waiting for them were a couple of arena guards, each of each carried a short sword and wore chain mail with the Royal Family's tabard over it. One of the guards held a board with the registered warriors on it. When the group arrived, the guard looked up and he smiled when he saw Link, "Oh there you are!" he exclaimed, letting out a laugh, "The last one is finally here! Hurrah!"

Link smiled weakly at him, "Yeah, yeah... we had a bit of trouble this morning and... wait a minute." He hesitated slightly as he got a better look at the guard, "You're the guy who gave us directions to the registration office the other day!"

The guard grinned, "I was hoping you recognized me and I'm glad you got into the brackets. That's very impressive for a kid your age. I don't think we've ever had a twelve year old in the tournament before." He added, scratching his forehead musingly. After a moment, he shrugged, "Oh well. You're here and that's what matters." He checked off Link's name, " Now then, Link Jacobson, allow me to give you more directions! Your room is one the second floor, number 16. Good thing they engrave those large numbers into the door instead of using signs that can be switched." He glanced at his fellow guard, "Right, Marcus?"

Marcus, the guard who had been rumored to enjoy playing pranks on people in various ways, including switch door signs around, grinned mischievously, "Darn straight, James. Those losers. When I catch whoever's switching those signs around, I'll give them an arrest they'll never forget!" He winked at his partner knowingly.

Senza exchanged a glance with the other pirates, grinned and mouthed, "Yeah right" to them. The others grinned with him and shared a quiet chuckle with their bear-like friend. They knew too well that Marcus was the one who switched the signs. It was too bad that he was a guard, he would have made an excellent pirate.

James smiled and stepped back, "Well then, welcome to the Swordsmen Tournament, Link." he said, beckoning the gang to enter the massive arena with his hand. As Link walked by, James nudged him and whispered, "Good luck, be sure to give all those older swordsmen a run for their rupees!"

-S-

A few corridors and a stairwell later, Link, Tetra and the others found themselves in front of a wooden door with a large number sixteen neatly etched into the door. The islander took a hold of the golden knob and opened the door. Inside was a rather plain room with a bed and a cabinet. Nothing truly remarkable, but nothing else was needed for the warriors.

Turning around, Link looked back into the faces of his friends, Tetra and the pirates. He nodded, "It looks like this is it. I guess we're going to split up now." It seemed odd to him that he should have to part with them. He had gotten so used to being with the pirates that it seemed like he had always lived with them and traveled with them. He half-smiled, grateful that they would be, at least half of them, watching him from the stands.

"Link." Tetra said, diverting his attention, "You'll do well, don't worry. If you get matched up against Ganondorf in the first round, don't panic. Whatever you do," She inclined her head, "just don't lose your edge. Fight hard and give us as much time as possible..." She smiled at him, "He's been the champion for the past ten years. Make it difficult for him to get past you."

He nodded, "I will." And so, Link and the pirates exchanged farewells and then the group left for the stands. He took a few last glances, trying to get a view of Tetra before he totally lost them in the distance. Unable to see her, the islander sighed—despite how much she had annoyed him that week, his crush on her had grown twofold. Suddenly, a man in a blue uniform ran up to his room.

"You're Link, right? Will you come down to field? We need you there to take attendance and to explain the rules." He coughed, "Come, quickly. We have been waiting for you for quite some time now."

Link inclined his head, "Sure." The man nodded, turned around and walked away from the door at a quick pace. The young swordsman followed him, the excitement in his blood was raising; within a couple of hours the annual Swordsmen Tournament of Hyrule would begin!


	12. Chapter 11: The First Bout

Chapter 11: The First Bout

Just a floor down and out from the corridor was the field where the battles were going to be held on that sunlit day. Along the way, Link overheard a couple of warriors talking about how the officials changed the terrain of the field constantly, year after year, to make it look like a normal scene out of any natural place in Hyrule.

This year, the field was set up like an area from the Great Hyrule Plain. There were stones scattered about the grassy ground, some larger than Link, and others that were only as big as a clump of dirt. All of them were placed at irregular intervals, probably to create some variation and tactical thinking on the part of the participants.

The problem with the plain setting this year; however, was the fact that it was more like a desert without the quicksand nor any unseen dips. Plains generally had some rolling hills—which the arena's field seemed to be lacking—but did not offer much more to suffice for a hiding place. Fortunately, because of Link's age, the stones were larger compared to him, so unlike his adult opponents, the young warrior had a place to hide.

When Link got down to the field, the other combatants had already arrived and were grouped together in no logical order in the center. They seemed to be conversing with one another over who knew what. A slight chill went down Link's spine as he noticed the large figure of Ganondorf among them; for the king's adviser was not very difficult to miss, even in a massive crowd.

The young swordsman made his way to gathering hesitantly because even though Tetra, the pirates, and the examiners knew he was skilled, the other combatants did not. It was likely that they would be skeptical of his talent. Only Ganondorf, ironically, would most likely acknowledge the fact that Link had any skill otherwise he wouldn't be here; that thought was not very comforting to the islander.

As Link drew closer to the circle, he realized that the other combatants had noticed his presence on the field. Sighing, Link began to walk more quickly as there was no point in trying to sneak into the group. Some of the other warriors began to mock him openly, while others murmured contentious words to the person next to them.

"Let's hope his mother's in the crowd," one with red hair and two long swords on his back said with a large sneer on his face, "He'll need someone to run to if he gets hurt." The other two around him shared his chortle, eying Link as if he were some sort of joke. It was like they half-expected him to laugh and say "Just kidding! I'm not really in the tournament" and then leave.

Ganondorf, on the other hand, welcomed him quite warmly, "Ah-ha! I knew you were here, kid!" Striding over to the young boy, the gerudo king gave Link a pat on the back that nearly knocked him onto the ground face-first, "A little late, a little late... but no real crisis. The referee isn't here yet to explain the rules or show us the brackets, so you're good shape."

The one in red hair snorted skeptically and gave Ganondorf, the champion of the past ten tournaments, a lopsided smile, "What's this? Don't tell me you've gone soft, Ganondorf!" He laughed and eyed Link again. "Come on now, seriously, you think that squirt is gonna fight? Yeah right, my grandma can fight better than an wimp like him."

The insult stung and Link really wanted to show this cocky idiot how good he really was. He stepped forward, almost gripping his sword when Ganondorf stopped him. "Now, now. That's not very polite, Rajin," he said with a smile on his face. "It's quite obvious that the kid has to be skilled in his style. After all," he pointed out to Rajin, "I heard he passed the entrance test easily."

Rajin didn't reply, he just rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently. He kept giving Link an unpleasant glare every once in awhile. "And the fact is," Ganondorf explained further, "no parent or guardian in their right mind would let their son into the tournament unless they knew that he was good. And any sponsor would have caught onto a mistake."

Rajin snorted and let out a dubious laugh, "Wait... someone sponsored him?" Grinning, the swordsman put his hands on his chin, pretending to think hard about the idea. "I wonder..." he mused, tapping his foot, "who would sponsor a kid?" Then Rajin snapped his fingers like he had figured out the situation. "They must have had to steal a lot to pay and bribe the examiners." There was a chorus of snickers and giggles from the rest of the warriors in the group, all of them looking at Link.

"Actually..." Ganondorf said, refuting what Rajin had said, "According to the records, the sponsors were a wealthy group of bomb merchants coming around to set up shop," he explained, raising a finger, "In fact, I believe Link here is the bomb merchant's son." He shrugged casually, "Makes sense to me, his father must have a lot of faith in him." Making a step forward, the gerudo's face split a friendly smile, "Now come then. Let's not make enemies, come shake the boy's hand."

However, Rajin just glared at Link, refusing to utterly comply with Ganondorf's request. He didn't say anything; however, he seemed absolutely resolute against giving the young warrior any sort of praise or welcome. The others did so likewise and began to talk with Rajin and his group again, this time in soft tones as to isolate Link and the king's adviser from the conversation.

Link felt guilty, "I'm sorry..." he said to Ganondorf, sincerely apologizing to the gerudo, "It doesn't seem like they want to talk to you anymore."

It did not seem fair at all; already the other competitors hated Link just because he was a child to them. This idea stung the young swordsman and made him a little angry—where he came from, he was considered a man now at the age of twelve. It appeared, however, that Hyrule did not share Outset's same ideals.

Ganondorf chuckled, patting the islander heartily on his back (with as much force as before) and said, "Don't worry about it, kid." The gerudo king seemed unconcerned with the group of back-talkers in front of them, "They actually hate me anyway for being the champion. They just act nice in order to look like an old friend. Suck-ups, they are." He smiled warmly at Link, "I'm sure you'll prove them wrong. Ah, look! Here comes the referee."

The group stopped their chatter as they heard Ganondorf speak. Straighting up quickly, they all acted falsely as if they had known the referee was coming the whole time. The referee, a plain woman with black, slightly messy, shoulder-length hair, strode down the field towards the combatants. Wearing a blue and white lined shirt with a long, blue skirt around her legs, there was a purpose in her walk.

As she got closer, Link noticed the intimidating gray eyes set in her face and he immediately knew that she was not a loose person at all. He kept hearing people from Rajin's group mumble, "Not her... oh please Din, anyone but her..." Some of them buried their faces in their hands, others just glared at her viciously, though there was a hint of fear in their eyes.

Link could see, right as she came up to the group, a look of disdain in her eyes. "Okay, you sword-wielding pricks, get in a line now before I throw you out of this Naryu-forsaken tournament," she threatened before yelling, "Get to it!" The group (although they despised her) followed her commands and got into a line swiftly. Ganondorf walked casually into the line, as if there was no rush and Link followed suit. Most of the others seemed really insulted by what the referee had called them (though Link was confused by the insult, he didn't know what a prick was).

"This woman is an absolute Shadow..." Rajin could be heard muttering among the others. Link overheard this and recalled what Sturgeon had taught him back in Outset Island. Shadows were believed to be a dark inner spirit inside of people that tempted them to sin, they were considered the definition of evil.

The referee examined them over, her gray eyes narrow and her face full of spite for the swordsmen in front of her. As she passed each swordsman, she mocked them with a sharp insult, "You're a fighter? Ha! As if you could actually hurt someone with that blade. How many times have you cut yourself trying pathetically to swing that thing? Hmmm?" She was even, as unbelievable as it seemed, even more harsh than Tetra.

Turning to Rajin, she stopped, looking like she had some horrible taste in her mouth, "You again!? Oh please, not the cocky idiot who thinks he can get past the first round." Rajin clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but the referee went on, with a knowing, cruel smile on her face, "Which he has lost within the first forty seconds every year he has entered. I wonder if that guy knows about the concept of 'giving up'?" He said, almost as if she were musing.

She walked up to Ganondorf, and Link was getting nervous, he wasn't sure how he was going to handle an insult. _Everyone will laugh at me_, he thought, _That's for sure._ As she narrowed her eyes at Ganondorf, deciding how to degrade the champion, the gerudo smiled and asked, "Lovely day, isn't it?" The woman grimaced at him, like she was about to tear him to pieces.

"Oh shut up. What do you have to be so happy about? Why do you even come here anymore, _huh_?" She stuck her tongue out rudely, "You already practically own this place, gives you enough prestige without licking the King's boots like a dog." Link had to admit, she had a lot of guts, not only did she indirectly insult the King, but also challenging the champion's dignity. But even more impressing was the fact that the king's adviser didn't seem a bit fazed by her, in fact he was still smiling.

Thinking that there might be an explosion from the two, Link got ready to step back when, without saying anything else, the referee walked up to him. He felt the sweat go down his brow, _Oh crap...! What am I gonna do...??_ Bracing himself for the mockery, the islander waited for the blow. But it didn't come.

The woman just looked at him, rolled her eyes and moved in front and center of the line, without giving a single harsh word to him. She was about to speak, but Rajin interrupted her with a sly grin on his face, "Aren't you going to say something to our new friend?" The red-haired bully looked anxious to see Link berated with some of the woman's blunt insults.

But the referee merely sneered at him, "I'm not here to entertain you, moron." Glad to see Rajin and many of the others seething with anger, she breathed the air in and said very loudly, "Alright! Enough chit-chat, time to explain the rules. And don't whine, you really don't know the rules because you all are too stupid to remember." Rolling her eyes, the woman pointed at Link, "The only exception is the kid because he's never been here before so listen up!

"My name is Angela, though that shouldn't be important enough to get through your thick skulls and I'm the referee for this tournament, so if I call it, don't argue with me unless you want to go the healers in a sling and crying I might add." Smiling sweetly in a way that just didn't fit her words, she continued, "The rules are as follows and they don't change to help you win during the fights as some brainless losers believe."

Although she didn't set her eyes on anyone in specific; some of the other fighters shuffled uncomfortably, as if the statement applied to them. Rajin rolled his eyes at Angela and shook his head with a heated look on his face. Ganondorf continued to watch her, fully attentive and ready to hear what she had to say. Feeling a bit abashed from being singled out a minute ago, Link focused himself on the referee completely in order to take in everything she said and know what limits he had.

"The first rule," She raised an index finger, "And yes, amazingly people somehow manage to break this obvious one, is: no weapons other than a sword!" Angela narrowed her eyes in distaste, "This is a _Swordsmen_ Tournament, not a _Grab-Any-Stupid-Weapon-You-Can-Men_ Tournament, so you're supposed to use a sword! Not an axe, not a spear, and as sure as heck not a savage club." Snorting, she added, "Last I checked, you guys are supposed to be '_elegant warriors with honor_' not cavemen." There was a mocking tone in her voice.

"Second rule," She raised a second finger, "No bags of tricks. You're not allowed to use spells, magic dust, dust-in-general, bombs, boomerangs, sticks, ropes, I could go on with a huge list, but I think you get the idea, the only exception are shields." The referee clicked her tongue, "Basically, have some sort of common sense not use stuff like this in the matches, though I doubt any of you actually have any," she mused smugly. Many of the fighters, including Rajin threw dirty looks at Angela. They were so angry that Link was half-expecting them to jump in and attack her.

Angela grinned, "Oh... are we feeling angry...? Aww... has the mean 'ol ref hurt your little feelings?" Her voice was falsely sweet, "I dare you to attack me." Link did a double-take, he did not expect this. Angela's face was fierce-looking, the flicker in her eyes challenged the fencers in front of her, "Go on! Most of you can't take me and those who can won't help any of you. Think you can kill me? Try it and you'll never lift a sword again."

Frustrated, Rajin and the others seemed to calm down a bit. Intimidated, Link overheard a story they quickly told to each other. She was strong because a few years back, someone had tried to kill her. According to the story, he had come to the healers all tangled and broken. But his body had been nothing compared to his arms, of which the healers said that it might have been better if his arms had been ripped out instead. With a soft smile, Angela said, "All better now, children? Good. Then I'll move on.

"Third rule," She raised a ring finger, "You lose the match if you're knocked out, get disarmed and you're unable to get your weapon (or weapons) back, you give up, or, only if you're stupid enough for this," Her face grew serious, "... you lose if you die." There was no smirk on her on face, "And yes, it has happened before. So don't think you're invincible here, accidents occur and people lose a head, get their back broken, their neck snapped or sliced in half. As the referee, it's my duty to stop the match before something like that happens," She said reassuringly, her lack of insults seemed out of place, "But sometimes... we're not fast enough... and people die."

Link swallowed, _People have died in this?_ He thought fearfully, _I can't believe that._ He looked across the field, half-expecting to see a smear of dried blood from a past year's tournament, at least until he reminded himself that the terrain was changed every year. Even so, that thought didn't do much to lessen his fears.

"Fortunately," Ganondorf piped in, "Most swordsmen have enough sense to prevent something like that from occurring." He seemed to say it purely for Link's sake, who was looking particularly nervous and distressed. The others nodded in solemn silence, even Rajin and his followers understood the severity of the topic, it was not a time to mock others.

"Yes... well..." Angela paused, "In any case, death doesn't occur very often, which is a good thing. Despite the lack of intelligence around here, people do seem to at least have the integrity to regard the sanctity of life with care." She breathed out her nose, waited for a moment to let her words sink in and then continued with the explanation.

"As for winning and advancing, the way the tournament is set-up is with brackets. There are four rounds, with the first round having eight matches, sometimes called 'bouts', with sixteen competitors in total. Each proceeding round will have half as many matches and competitors. Two competitors will fight in each bout, the winner of each bout will advance to a higher bracket in the next round where they will have to fight another winner." Shaking his head, Link felt very confused.

Noticing the confounded look on Link's face, the referee added, "For example, take the first round: the winner of the first bout will fight with the winner of the second bout in the second round. This repeats until final round where there will only be two competitors left to face off for the trophy and the title of champion. Understand, morons?" She said, directing her voice to Rajin and the others, yet away from Link.

Rajin twitched angrily, but said nothing except a simple, "Yes, ma'am." He glared at Angela with the utmost hatred, obviously sick and tired of her insults.

She smiled, "Good. Maybe there's hope for you after all." Letting out a stinging laugh that left marks in the warriors, the referee proceeded to produce a white piece of paper with lines and writing on it, she handed it to a short swordsman on the end of the line on the other side, "This is the bracket sheet, it'll show you who you will be facing the first round."

The warriors passed it around, each one looking at it for different periods of time, some just glanced at it, others took almost a few minutes to make sure who they were facing. One of the warriors let out a loud groan looked fearfully down the line where Ganondorf and Link stood. He swallowed deeply and sighed with remorse. _He must have gotten Ganondorf..._ Link observed, remembering that the king's adviser had held the championship for the past ten years now.

Suddenly, he was distracted by a fit of laughter, Rajin was holding the bracket sheet and was chortling with delight. Angela threw him a sour look, but he and some of his buddies who were laughing along with him paid it no mind. Confused at what Rajin was laughing at, Link waited for the bracket sheet to get to him. When it came, he saw and fully understood why Rajin was laughing, he was fighting Link in the first bout.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Rajin leering at him. Breathing in, the young swordsman walked over to Angela and handed her the paper and then returned to his spot, not even looking at his red-haired opponent. _I'll show him... I have to win... not only for my dream but for Tetra too!_ It had just hit him; the stakes had been raised because now he was fighting for someone else besides himself and his family on Outset. _I'm not afraid of him, I won't lose._ He thought, his face set in stone with determination, the fear of death and losing was completely gone.

-S-

Afterwards, Angela was done explaining the rules and left, not before insulting all the warriors, except Link, sharply. "Since you won't be able to figure it out, head to your rooms and practice, the tournament will start in about a half-hour. And since you're so blind, I'll point out to you boys that some of the spectators have already arrived. So be ready! You'll be called." And with that, she left, leaving an angry Rajin and company.

"That..." Rajin cursed loudly and offensively, making Link jump, "I swear I'll get her one day..." He snorted, adjusting the collar on his black jacket, "At least I have an easy first bout," Rajin mused just enough for Link to hear, "I hope he's smart enough to know when he's beaten. I wouldn't want to kill anyone in the first thirty seconds just because they're weak..." He and his friends burst into laughter, going the opposite way to their rooms.

"That..." Link felt like cursing out Rajin, but he held his tongue and his anger. Though it didn't seem to help as the islander was so angry that he wanted to break something, so angry that he didn't notice Ganondorf walk up behind him rather quietly. When the gerudo spoke, the islander nearly fell forward from being startled.

"Forget him." He said consolingly, his face had its usual warm smile on it, "He's just talking big, even though Rajin is pretty good, I doubt you'll go down that easily, kid." He nodded, "I've done the tournament so many times, more than ten," he added, "that I know how the registration system works like the back of my hand. These days, no one who can be knocked off in the first thirty seconds would make it past the admittance test. Not even a kid." He grinned, "So you have to be skilled, there's no question about it."

Link smiled, he felt better, the gerudo was right. He would not have passed the test if he was not so adept at sword-fighting. He remembered all the hard years of training he had undergone and the boy knew that he was going to make it very difficult for him to lose. The islander looked up at Ganondorf, almost forgetting Tetra's warnings about him, and said, "Thanks..."

"No problem! Just be ready, we've got a half-hour until the first bout starts." He winked at the islander, "I'll be rooting for you. See you later, Link." He walked off to his room. Feeling recharged for the fights ahead, Link went to his own room and practiced with his sword to pass the time until the first match started.

The half hour passed swiftly as Link practiced with his sword and shield. He was so focused on his extra practice time that he never heard his name called and it took him five seconds to realize there was the muffled roar of crowd outside. That told him that the tournament was about to start. Taking a moment to rest, Link sheathed his sword and caught his breath. Within a few moments, Link felt ready, nodding to himself, the islander opened his door and went outside.

Closing the door behind him, the young islander was overwhelmed by the noise outside. Beyond the railing, he could see colorful little dots on the stands on the opposite side. Even though Link couldn't see the whole arena from the second floor, the rumble of the crowds told him that all the coliseum stands around him were also full of spectators, excited for the start of the big tournament.

Then, a person ran up to him, "Hey Link!" It was Angela, "Come on, it's time for your bout, I'll take you to the field, let's hurry, you don't have a lot of time, kid." Beckoning with a hand, Angela turned on her heel and ran in the other direction. Tracking her direction, Link followed the referee as quickly as his small legs could.

She was very fast, making it difficult for Link to keep pace, especially since she was also going through a part of the Arena that the young swordsman had never been in before. Soon, Angela stopped and pointed out a spiral staircase to the side and again beckoned him to follow. As soon as he got close, the referee dashed down the staircase with amazing speed, almost leaving the islander behind in a cloud of dust. Again, he followed her blindly and suddenly found himself out on the field.

"Here... in the center, kid." The referee said quickly to him, pushing her hand into his back, sending him the message to hurry. Nodding, Link strode off towards the center at a power walk pace, and Angela ran on ahead of him to get to her spot on the field. Rajin was already there, waiting for them. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the islander, with a mocking sneer on his face.

"Oh... what's wrong, kid?" Rajin taunted as soon as Link was in earshot, "A bit late? I thought you were too scared to fight me... I guess you took so long because you had to change your pants?" He let out a cruel laugh, "It's okay, kid. It's okay to be scared because you're weak."

Link returned Rajin's sneer with a dark glare, but did not say anything. Angela shot the hot-headed redhead a dangerous look of her own. "Be sure to wipe the field with his pathetic, dumpy backside, kid," She whispered to Link, she was obviously sick of Rajin's cockiness She stepped back, looking over at the Royal Box, which was on the northern side of the field and raised about fifteen feet above it, a smile grew on the referee's face, "Ah... the King is here."

Both competitors looked and saw the arrival of King Daphnes. He looked rather regal as ever in his crimson robes. There were three seats and the King took the center seat. Link waited, but the other two seats remained empty, he realized that those seats were for the Queen, who was now dead, and the Princess, who was now missing. Without his family, Daphnes seemed to be very lonely, in the islander's opinion (whose own mother and father were dead).

Daphnes stood up and went to the front of his box. The crowd went completely silent, waiting for him to speak. He raised his hands into the air and smiled at his people, "Welcome, everyone! Welcome to the 75th Annual Swordsman Tournament. I'm glad that you all could make it to this momentous occasion that we have here every year in Hyrule. I hope you all enjoy it immensely! Now, let us begin the first bout!" The crowd let out a cheer, screaming and shouting as the King sat down, then he gave a nod to Angela.

She returned it and looked from Link to Rajin and back to Link again, "I know you guys don't like each other, but it's customary for opponents to shake hands before the match for good will." Eying both of them with narrowed eyes, the referee said, "Now, just do it. I don't care what you think of each other, it looks good to the spectators."

Link and Rajin didn't say anything, but they did as they were told and they gripped each other's hand, trying to crush it. They shook firmly and immediately removed their hands as if trying to avoid getting some sort of horrible disease from the other fighter. Satisfied with their actions, Angela nodded, raised her right hand into the air and said, "Get ready..." She paused, letting the tension rise. Link took out his shield and drew his sword while Rajin took out his two long swords. Without warning, Angela dropped her hand and shouted, "Begin!"

All three of them jumped back, Angela going to the edge to watch the match and kept her eyes peeled for foul moves. Rajin slided back a few feet, eying the young warrior carefully, yet he was not watching for strategies because he was perfectly confident.

Link himself backflipped backwards into the air, expecting Rajin to come after him; he was surprised to see that his opponent had slid back instead. Frowning, Link sidestepped to the left, waiting for Rajin to move. He noticed his opponent's eyes following his movement and all the time, the red-head did not move an inch.

_What is he waiting for?_ The islander thought frustratingly,_ I guess he's waiting for me... well, I don't really have a choice, do I?_ Deciding to pull a fake on his red-haired opponent, Link dashed directly at Rajin, swinging his sword wildly in the air and yelling at the top of his lungs. Rajin grinned and readied himself, foolishly thinking that Link was falling into his trap.

The islander kept running, as soon as he was five feet away from Rajin, the warrior brought down both of his swords on either side of the islander in order to trap him between the deadly blades. But all his swords found was air as Link swiftly dove into the ground and rolled around his opponent, making a semi-circle, to his back. Rolling onto his feet, Link leaped up in a spiraling motion, dealing a powerful slash to Rajin's back and knocking him forward.

Getting up, Rajin twirled around to face Link, "Lucky shot, kid!" He spat, trying to secure his pride, narrowing his eyes angrily at the boy, "But you will never be able to beat me, weakling." Suddenly, Rajin began to twirl his swords about him in the air. He spun them around his body and then jumped forward and began to slash mercilessly at his opponent.

Link had not thought ahead of time about how difficult it would have been to fight off an opponent with two swords. But he was soon realizing that it was becoming impossible to counter Rajin's attacks. He had to use his sword to parry blows from one of the swords and his shield block attacks from the other. Finding himself in an increasingly difficult position, Link had to find a weakness to break through.

"He's trapped, Miss!" On the tenth row in the stands, Tetra, Gonzo and the others were watching Link helplessly fend off Rajin's attacks, looking desperately for an opening, "How the heck is going to get out of that?" Zuko asked, their was anger in his voice, "Oh man, come on, kid! Ya gotta win!"

The others didn't say anything, they kept on watching. Link couldn't lose the first match, if he did, they might not get another chance to get the _Ocarina of Time_ again. Zuko looked at Tetra, her face was shadowed under her hood, making impossible to tell her expression. She raised her head a bit and revealed a smile, "Rajin doesn't have a chance."

Back at the Royal Box, the curtain in the back opened to reveal a tall gerudo walking through it. "Mind if I join you, your majesty?" Ganondorf asked as he pushed the curtain back, "My first match isn't for awhile, so I thought I'd join you as your adviser and good friend to watch this one."

Daphnes smiled and nodded, "Oh yes! Please do!" The King motioned to his guards, who pushed up the Queen's chair up next to Daphnes and allowed the gerudo a seat. The King chuckled jovially, it was obvious that he had been hoping for some company, "It's quite an excellent fight. I never thought a young boy would be in the tournament. Unfortunately, he seems to be a bit stuck..."

Ganondorf let out a laugh, "I wouldn't worry about it your majesty. That kid is skilled, the first blow told me that. It's only a matter of time before Link thinks of something to get him out of this trap."

There was a sudden loud clang as Link deflected another blow. He had been skidding and blocking Rajin's blows for half a minute now, unable to find an opening. Then Link realized something; Rajin was not defending himself at all, he was only attacking the islander and using wide outward swings which left his inner body open to an attack.

_But attacking now might leave me open..._ He thought to himself cautiously as he deflected another blow from the right-hand long sword. It was his only chance, however, to get past Rajin's offensive onslaught. With a yell, Link thrust his sword forward at Rajin's stomach, and immediately, just as the islander had predicted, Rajin brought his swords in front of him to parry the attack.

"You'll need to do better than that, ki-... what the!?" Suddenly letting out a yell of surprise, the redheaded overly cocky swordsman found himself under a counter-onslaught from the twelve-year old swordsman. Link ducked, slashed vertically, horizontally, at Rajin's head, his side, his leg, his arm, over and over again, making Rajin struggle against Link's relentless attacks.

Finally, Link slammed his sword so hard against Rajin's blades that it sent him onto the ground. _This is my chance!_ Link thought excitedly, he jumped up into the air, with his sword under him pointing directly at the ground. He landed, his sword only tasting the fresh earth as Rajin rolled out of the way. _I'm not done yet!_ The young warrior thought as he gritted his teeth.

He dashed over to the redheaded duelist in black, who was just getting up, to catch Rajin off-guard. Sliding across the ground, Link began to spin as his body moved towards Rajin. When he got close, the islander swung around and brought his sword forward and slashed it across his opponent's face, making a large mark and throwing Rajin's head a back a bit.

Rajin felt his tender cheek, it was bleeding, throwing an angry glare at Link with his teeth bared like an infuriated wolf, "You little punk!" he growled, "You're going to pay for that!!"

"Ooo... that must hurt, doesn't it?"Angela said to herself, chuckling satisfyingly, "Now we'll see who will really wet their pants. Who here is the man and who here is the coward? I don't think the man is you... Rajin." She grinned at him far away, quite pleased that not only was he getting beaten but so was his pride.

Growling, the red-haired warrior slashed at Link angrily with all the force he could muster, trying to cut the young fighter into pieces. The islander ducked and then jumped backwards in a backflip, landing on his hands, he pushed himself up into the air and backflipped again. The crowd gasped as he repeated the process three times, landing on his feet a good distance away from Rajin.

Rajin couldn't believe what he was seeing now. His anger had been replaced by shock, and it seemed to Link that his red-haired opponent was unable to fathom the absolute truth that Link was well-trained in the arts of sword-fighting. Then, however, Link noticed his opponent's face split into a wide grin. _Uh oh... he's up to something._

"Wow... that boy is impressive..." The King said, his mouth open in awe, he let out a chuckle, "He'd make an excellent soldier... just how old is that boy anyway, Ganondorf? If you say ten, I'll know you're lying, no one that young can be so skilled!" He laughed good-naturedly.

"It's close." The gerudo responded, he stroked his fiery beard, "The boy is twelve years old." Daphnes's jaw dropped, Ganondorf paid it no mind, he merely shrugged, "So, yes, he is quite skilled for his age. I'm sure Rajin is determined to beat him, however; he seems to despise the kid. Well, let's see what happens."

"Kid..." Rajin grinned confidently and viciously, "You are so dead... Let's see how you deal with this!" He flipped his swords back and pointed them backwards towards the sun. Leaning in low, he bared his teeth at Link like a vicious animal. The islander gritted his own teeth and braced himself for what was to come, "I'll show you my _Blade Dance Technique_!"

Suddenly, Rajin dashed at Link with extreme speed, he began to circle the boy repeatedly for three cycles and then he closed in on him. The blades of the long swords literally danced as they cut and slash at the islander with extreme accuracy and celerity. It was painful for Link beyond belief, he was screaming as each sword bit and clawed at Link's arms, legs and body.

Link fell to the ground as Rajin stopped and pulled away, the young boy's body was covered in cuts, wounds and scars from the vicious attack. The fiery swordsman let out a mocking laugh, "What's wrong, kid? Couldn't take it? I knew you were weak!" He continued to laugh, letting himself swallow his pride, "You're skilled, but not good enough to defeat me! I win!" He looked over at Link and his smile faded, "... what the?"

The crowd, and the King gasped; the twelve-year old was standing up, "I'm not done yet..." Link announced, breathing in and out heavily to catch his breath from the vicious attack, "I won't lose to you! I've been training for years and I'm not going let it go to waste!" He shouted at Rajin, gritting his teeth. He was going to end it.

Rajin cursed loudly and foully, "... it, kid! I'll take you out! _Blade Dance Technique_!" He dashed at Link with his swords out pointing towards the boy's chest, but the islander wasn't going to fall for this technique again, instead he put his sword behind him and got ready for Rajin. The red-head began to run around Link in a circle, "You are so dead!!" He screamed.

The young swordsman was ready this time. He waited until Rajin had encircled him closely, ready to strike with his dual swords when Link performed the same technique he had used on the bokoblin pirates. He let out a yell and spun around with his sword outward, slashing at Rajin viciously. The spin attack was so fast that Rajin didn't have time to react or even think. His and Link's swords collided and the red-haired warrior was sent flying back into the ground.

"Incredible!" Daphnes exclaimed, "That boy knows the _Whirling Blade_ technique!"

Ganondorf chuckled, "I knew he had an ace up his sleeve somewhere."

Rajin's face was full of pain and disbelief, but soon his anger began to bubble to the surface. He growled like a feral beast at his young opponent and shouted, "You ain't going to win this one, kid!!" Rajin then dashed at Link madly, his swords swinging randomly in the air.

Unfortunately for Rajin, this was exactly what Link was looking. Once again, using his opponent's anger to his advantage, the nimble islander dodged out of the way of the fiery warrior's slashes, he was completely blind with rage. Ducking under one of the swords and parrying the other, Link flipped over his opponent's shoulder, slashing at it as he went across.

Back up in the stands, Tetra nodded, "He looks like he's going to be okay... so let's move quickly..." She said quietly to the pirates in order not to arouse the attention of the nearby spectators, "We don't have much time to get the Ocarina, so we'd better leave now." She motioned to Gonzo and Nudge, who both looked disappointed to leave the match mid-way, but they knew they had to.

Senza, Zuko, Mako and Niko waved to their companions as they left, "We'll hold up the fort!" Zuko chuckled, "We'll hold your places while Link fights." Tetra, Gonzo and Nudge all nodded back, now it was time for the mission to start, they had to get through the arena and past the guards to reach the main path that led to the _Temple of Time_. Waving to her companions, Tetra took one last look at Link fighting below and then turned on her heel to leave quietly.

Meanwhile, Link and his opponent were circling each other slowly, waiting for the other to make his next move. At this point, Rajin was quite frustrated, still thinking of how he could trap Link in a single move; he was finding it more and more difficult to do so. One would think that they could hear the grinding of Rajin's teeth, thinking of the humiliation he'd face if he were seen beaten by a kid, "I... I won't let you win! You dirty prick!!" Unable to control his rage, he dashed at the little boy, his swords flailing again.

Ready for his attack, Link dashed forward and slammed his sword into Rajin's oncoming blades. The three blades pushed together tightly and clung to each other as if they were glued, the warriors couldn't move them apart. Link grinned, Rajin couldn't attack anymore, "It's over, loser." At that moment, the islander pushed off the ground with his feet and swung around, using his sword to twirl him around over to Rajin's head like a windmill blade. Coming around, Link let out a yell and slammed his shield into his opponent's head.

There was a gasp from the audience, Daphnes blinked and rubbed his chin, "Isn't that... illegal, Ganondorf?"

"No. Sword and shield specialists are allowed to use their shields as weapons." The gerudo explained, "There is nothing in the rules that says that a shield isn't a weapon. A good shield can be quite deadly against an opponent caught unawares."

Rajin fell back, dropping his swords to the ground. With his own sword freed, Link blocked the way to Rajin's weapons by standing on the blades on the ground. Rajin tried to grab them out from under Link's feet, but every time he did, the islander would put his own sword in the way of Rajin's hands. He nodded darkly at his flame-haired opponent, "Checkmate. You lose." He heard Angela whistle, signaling the end of the match.

She walked over to them, nodded and then turned to the crowd, "Rajin is unable to retrieve his weapons. He is permanently disarmed and therefore, he is counted as if he were knocked out." She went over to Link and raised his right hand, "The winner of the first bout is Link Jacobson!" The crowd stood up, cheering and clapping for the little warrior, he had surprised them all. Up in the stands, Senza, Zuko and the others were calling out to their young friend, all of them were very proud of him.

The King and Ganondorf stood up with the crowd, clapping generously for Link, Daphnes smiled broadly, "Wonderful! I never realized it at the time, but the child is quite clever, coming with up with such cunning tactics!"

"Yes..." Ganondorf agreed, a smile growing on his own face, "That boy does know how to think on his toes. I look forward to fighting him." He laughed warmly and jokingly, "I'm beginning to think that if I'm not careful, he'll even beat me!"

Link was beaming, he stepped off the blades to let Rajin get them and the once overconfident swordsman in black was now looking shamed at his loss. He grabbed his weapons jerkily and walked to his room on the opposite side without being noticed. The young islander was getting his fair share of cheers and hollers, the crowd was very impressed by his performance and thought it was an excellent match.

"But remember, kid." Angela said to him from behind, trying to look serious, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling, "This is only the beginning, you have a long way to go to win this tournament, so don't get comfortable yet, it's only going to get harder from here on out."

Link nodded, it was his goal to win, even though Tetra had said it wasn't possible. He wanted to prove her wrong. As his thoughts turned to the young, charismatic pirate captainess, he wondered how she was fairing in her endeavor to get the _Ocarina of Time_ out of the Temple. _I hope she's okay..._ He thought as he waved to the crowd again and left for his room. The first round was over for him, all he could do now was wait.


	13. Chapter 12: The Champion

Chapter 12: The Champion

"Did you see that?"

"What?"

"Did you see that kid use the _Whirling Blade Technique_?"

"Yeah! Like the one the Hero of Time mastered!"

Tetra muffled a smug snicker; everything was working—to her delight—even better than she had expected. Even after Link's match was done, the _Temple of Time_ Guards kept on talking to each other with absolute astonishment at the young swordsman's skill. Even though she, Gonzo, and Nudge left the match early to sneak into the Temple, they had overheard Link's finishing move on Rajin—of which Tetra thought was very clever.

_That kid knows how to work on his feet alright._ It was perfect; if Link could keep up a good show of swordsmanship at a young age, then getting the Ocarina out of the temple would be nowhere near as difficult as originally planned for. Still, the cunning pirate captainess was prudent in her moves and kept Gonzo and Nudge moving silently, who kept trying to see the results themselves.

Tetra, Gonzo, and Nudge had quickly swapped into their pirate gear near the entrance of the Temple. The three pretended that they were interested in seeing a tour of the Temple, and, as usual, Tetra put on the best cutesy act she could manage to trick the guards into thinking she was a harmless nine-year old girl.

Then, Link's final hit on Rajin (using his shield) was the ice-breaker and the Temple guards just had to know what happened in the fight. It gave the three pirates plenty of time to swap clothes, put on face-masks, full-head bandannas, and sneak into the thick garden of the Temple. The bushes were tall and thick, almost like the walls of a maze, providing the perfect cover for the three.

Moving silently behind the bushes and pass the distracted guards, the three pirates made their way behind the Temple of Time and to the place Tetra had designated on the map. There, they found the ventilation shaft, which was unfortunately too small for neither Gonzo nor Nudge to fit in; however, Tetra had already planned for this.

Peering around the area, the young pirate captainess gave the hand signal that she was going to speak to them, but they were only allowed to use gestures. "Okay... here's the deal," she whispered to Gonzo and Nudge as they gathered close around her. "There's a back-door in the temple that's used for emergencies. But...!" she stopped Gonzo from speaking out-loud. "It can only be opened from the inside. Don't worry, there are no guards at the back end of the temple. Just wait for me to open the doors and then rush in, and throw those special sleep bombs that I gave you while I snatch the Ocarina. Got it?"

The two nodded curtly and remained silent. Tetra then swapped back to hand-signals, giving them the gesture for "Good luck." They were going to need all of it that they could get.

-S-

As he stepped off the field, Link was overwhelmed by the massive cheers that reverberated off the sides of the coliseum's walls. They were all rooting for him; him and his victory. _And... I'm only an Islander..._ He thought, realizing that he was only acting as the son of a bomb merchant, despite that he knew who he really was.

After taking in one last view of the cheering crowds, Link made his way back into the corridors of the arena towards his training room. Looking back, the islander wished he could sit with Senza and the others who were still there, and watch the other fights.

After arriving at the door of his room, Link suddenly discovered that he had a balcony outside of it. There, he could watch the battlefield to see the other fights as they took place. While he was tired and needed rest, Link decided to watch another fight for a little bit. Below, he could see the combatants walking up the field already—a feeling of tension overcame in Link, for he saw that one of them was Ganondorf.

-S-

The gerudo walked across the grassy fields, waiting for his opponent to come out of hiding. Ganondorf had been waiting for over fifteen minutes. Closed to the world except to the battlefield, the referee, and his opponent; he did not hear the massive cheers and the chanting of his own name, no matter how much he loved it.

_Patience..._ Ganondorf told himself in his own mind, _Good things come to those who wait. _When was he commencing his revenge for the kingdom? Perhaps within at least twenty-four hours or three days at the most. Then, he would enjoy the fruits of his success according to his desires.

Finally, the runt arrived, he was being pulled by Angela onto the battlefield. _Obviously not confident that he can win. Shame._ Putting on his warmest smile, the gerudo spoke, "You know I'm not extremely vicious and that I don't kill. Everything will be alright, whether you win or you lose." He waved, "Good luck to you."

_That seemed to work._ His opponent seemed a little more courageous now, though he stilled appeared to shake a little. _Excellent. Afraid, yet determined. This should be at least amusing. _On the outside, Ganondorf kept his warm appearance on, like a perfect mask. He approached his opponent and shook hands with him. He didn't care to hear his name, instead, Ganondorf jumped back and drew his two swords. _No one ever knows what I really think._

As soon as Angela said, "Begin!" Ganondorf charged his opponent to school him in the arts of sword-fighting.

-S-

Link watched Ganondorf move with awe. _Dang, he is good, _the islander thought. He began to study the gerudo's fighting style, use of the terrain and combat skills to get an idea of what to prepare for when he faced him. _If I face him that is._ The young swordsman thought about what Tetra had said about the tournament.

_"No one wins the first time they enter that thing."_

He frowned, still determined to top them all despite what she had said, Link continued to study Ganondorf's fighting technique. He would need to know in order to get pass the champion of the Swordsman Tournament how to counter most of Ganondorf's moves. Yet he knew, from his own experience that the gerudo—a skilled swordsman—would not use all his tricks until the end of the tournament.

Blow, after blow, Link watched as Ganondorf's opponent, a two-handler, grow weaker and weaker with very strike from Ganondorf, taken or shared. Suddenly, Link saw Ganondorf twirl his swords in a vertical circle in both arms. Without warning, Ganondorf took sharp aim and and slashed his first sword at his opponent's feet. The two-handler jumped up and brought his sword back behind hid back and swung down on the gerudo with all his might! There was a loud clang as the weapons collided and due to the spinning nature of Ganondorf's second weapon, it caught and threw the two-handled-sword onto the other side of the arena.

It wasn't over yet, before his opponent could land, Ganondorf delivered a powerful double-blow to his opponent's chest, knocking him down and smashing his head on a heavy rock.

Angela walked up to the gerudo's fallen opponent and checked him. Clearing her throat, she announced that since Ganondorf's opponent was knocked out, Ganondorf was the winner of the match. The gerudo sheathed his swords into different scabbards, hidden underneath his large dark coat, and bowed to the King before giving the audience his smile.

Link was astonished, _Ganondorf really is that good..._ he had never seen someone catch a sword in mid-air and knock it away. The young warrior scrutinized the last few moves in his head, making note of what he could remember of Ganondorf's moves, attacks, and stances. _I'm going to fight him eventually. It's only a matter of time._

Returning to his room, he rested for awhile, until he heard a knock on his door. Link walked over and opened it to see a guard with a potion of familiar red-liquid in it. "Here ya are, young master," he said (Link felt a little weird that he was being called "master"), handing the islander the flask. "This is a red healing potion. They don't taste good, but it'll help heal those wounds Rajin gave you."

He was already familiar with the potion's powers, nevertheless, Link smiled and spoke. "Thank you." Link shook the guard's hand before the guard left and closed the door behind him.

Almost bouncing into a seat on his bed, Link reluctantly opened the flask. He could already smell the foul taste. _Might as well get it over with, _he thought as he brought to the potion to his lips and let the liquid slide down his throat. Managing to get it all down in one gulp, Link coughed, his mouth releasing red smoke as he did. He stuck his tongue out. "Yuck!"

He looked at his arms and gasped, the wounds were closing right before his very eyes. Although it didn't repair the shreds that Rajin's swords had made to his clothes, all the wounds closed on their own and Link could feel a pleasant sensation stroke his body. Feeling re-energized and stronger, Link began to practice, recalling the techniques that Ganondorf had used on his opponent and trying to think of ways to counter them. Link wanted to win, he was going to do all that he could to win.

-S-

"Yo! Champ! Over here!" Angela growled as Ganondorf was just barely leaving the field.

The gerudo scowled while his face was in the shadows. _I hate her. What does that wench want now?_ He turned around slowly and smiled at Angela. "Yes, miss?" Ganondorf hid every bit of hatred he had towards this woman and made himself appear delighted to hear her call him. "What is it that you need?"

Angela, on the hand, didn't hide her displeasure. "Get your gerudo butt over here," she said. "I've got the brackets updated already." That meant that she was going to tell Ganondorf who his next opponent would be.

"Excellent! Let me see," he said, walking over to her. In reality, he was thinking: _I wonder what pathetic being I'll be fighting next? _Angela turned the clipboard so Ganondorf could see the brackets. He blinked in surprise and then a real, unmasked grin spread over his face.

"Wonderful," was all he said.

-S-

It was dark, hard, and tight in the Temple's ventilation shafts. _You'd think they'd make them a bit bigger for more air! _Tetra thought, completely irritated and at near-suffocation; however, it was her determination was what kept her alive. Slowly, she crawled though the stone passage. There was almost not a part of her body that felt the tight stone.

It was hard; at times she would get stuck, unable to move her elbows to force her forward. Staying calm, Tetra would try to shove herself back a little, lying down completely flat on her belly. That always seemed to work; helping her escape an uncomfortable death.

Suddenly, the shaft opened up a couple of inches as Tetra made a turn to climb upwards. This was a welcome relief to the pirate captainess as she felt her breath circulating more easily through her body. Also, she somehow knew that she was getting very close to her destination. _That Ocarina is mine! _

Her thoughts turned to Link; she was hoping that he would be able to last long enough for them to get the Ocarina. _I hope he doesn't have to fight Ganon anytime soon. Otherwise, we're in big trouble. _She had told him that he was one of the most important parts of the plan, and now it was time he showed his stuff.

_Just relax, Tetra. He did really good against Rajin... hopefully he can withstand whatever comes next!_

-S-

The practice dummy received another whirling blow from Link's sword; the young swordsman pushed off the dummy's chest and backflipped onto the floor. He was about to make a 'deathblow' to the dummy when someone knocked on the door to his room. Blinking, he sheathed his sword, and opened the door.

"Link?" It was Angela. Her face was rather grim and Link noticed she was holding the clipboard with the tournament brackets on it.

"What is it?" Link asked. He was asking more about her facial expression than the brackets. He figured he was up next. Angela didn't reply, instead she just showed him the bracket. Link scanned the page for his name and then found it. As soon as he did, his green eyes went wide with fear and excitement. "Oh my gosh, no way!"

He was going to fight Ganondorf next.

-S-

Ganondorf was already on the field when Link came down the stairs. He breathed in deeply and told himself: _relax. Take it easy, he's going to be hard... but you have to be hard on him. _Link remembered what Tetra had said about Ganondorf before. Even in the distance, he could see a shining smile on the gerudo's face, but for some odd reason, Link got the feeling that it wasn't fake.

Exhaling, he stepped onto the field and approached Ganondorf on the field. Link was extremely nervous. Sure, Ganondorf had been nice to him before, and even encouraged him against Rajin, but Tetra's warning hung like a dead man in Link's mind.

Ganondorf nodded at Link as he walked up to him. "Well... I find this situation rather ironic," he said. "I was talking to the King during your battle with Rajin about your fine skill for one so young. We joked that possibly that you might be able to beat me."

Possible? Link hoped it was possible; he really wanted to win and honor his family at home. Yet, would losing to Ganondorf bring any shame to his name? To merely last against the Champion was a commendable merit. _Stay calm, Link._

Link forced a smile onto his face. "Yeah, maybe. But it was just a joke, right?"

"Are you saying you're not confident in yourself?"

"... Errr... I..." Link didn't know how to respond to this question.

Ganondorf, on the other hand, continued to speak. "I'll give you some advice. Believe in yourself, Link. Many of my former opponents have failed to have faith in the skills. That led them to their defeat," the gerudo said grimly. "Courage, boy! Courage is the key!"

Link only nodded slowly. "Are you boys done with the pep talk?" said an annoyed voice next to them. It was Angela, she had apparently been listening to them for awhile. "Because we have to move this tournament along. Come on now. I'm glad you two actually respect each other," she added, rolling her eyes.

Link laughed quietly to himself and held out his hand, which was so small compared to the gerudo's own. Despite the size difference, Ganondorf's handshake was not overly strong, but respectful. Even with the tension building in his body (despite his efforts to remain calm), Link felt that at least he would be fighting someone that would take him seriously for what he was. Not just a kid, but a warrior.

"This is the second tier of the tournament!" She shouted to the audience above that started cheering. "Link Jacobson verus Ganondorf Dragmire!"Angela stepped back and raised her right hand into the air as always and said, "Get ready..." And then she dropped it, "Begin!"

Link didn't see Angela move off to the edge of the field to see what was going on; he only focused himself on Ganondorf as he jumped back, and drew his sword and shield. To his surprise, Ganondorf did not move. Then, he saw the gerudo reach into his robes—crossing his arms—to unsheathe two thin-bladed swords with gold hilts. He still didn't move, he was probably waiting for Link to strike first.

The islander sized up his options as well as his opponent. Ganondorf was much larger than he was, and probably a lot stronger; however, Link didn't know whether the gerudo was fast or not. Keeping himself focused, Link sidestepped repeatedly and started to circle Ganondorf; he still would not move. _Not again._ _What is he waiting for?_ Link was frustrated, it seemed like he'd have to make a move before the gerudo would unleash any of his swordsmanship skills.

Deciding to attack from behind, Link dashed forward and slashed at Ganondorf's backside. Unfortunately, he blinked and Ganondorf had already parried his attack with a long clang. Link flipped back and landed on the ground, only to see the gerudo dash up to Link, bringing down one of his swords.

Link blocked the attack with his shield and expected a second attack from the second sword, but he found himself caught off-guard as Ganondorf raised his sword and then slashed horizontally as if to slice Link's head off. The islander ducked, but then realized something. Before he could hear the swing of Ganondorf's other sword, Link jumped up and avoided the second attack that had come from below. He was surprised, but Ganondorf's movements flowed like a river. They were smooth, direct, and focused.

The islander picked himself back up and waited. This time, the gerudo made his move and attempted to cross-slash Link with both swords. _He's fighting like this is a life-or-death duel! _Link immediately backflipped and found himself pinned against the wall. Instead of letting himself be trapped by it, he used it to his advantage. Pitting his feet against the wall, Link launched himself at Ganondorf with a large horizontal swing of his sword. He saw the surprised look in Ganondorf's eyes and knew he had surprised him.

The gerudo brought up his swords just in time to defend against Link's attack. The islander dropped to the ground and immediately rolled around Ganondorf in a semi-circle until he reached his back. _Got ya! _That's when he jumped up into a spiral and let his sword... clang against metal? Link looked at Ganondorf's back and to his shock, he saw that the champion had brought both swords behind him in a perfect parry.

Link frowned. _I should have figured that the same technique I used on Rajin wouldn't work on Ganondorf. _Since that was the case, trapping the two swords wouldn't work either. The islander needed to approach this situation differently. However, he had little time to think as Ganondorf shifted his balance and swung his swords with such speed that Link barely blocked the attack with his shield without being knocked over.

Still, Ganondorf would not back off. Link remembered how much Ganondorf liked to use feint attacks. There were many times when Link found himself squeezing himself thin between the two blades or nearly having his arm sliced in two throughout the battle. Although there was no pattern that he could pick up on, Link was fortunately holding his own against the gerudo.

Ganondorf twirled his swords in his hand; Link was sure that the gerudo was going to try another feint on him, but this time, Link had a plan.

-S-

A light flashed from underneath Tetra's vest. She reached in and pulled out a necklace with a rough stone on it. The stone was shimmering, and created a bright ambiance within the gray and dark air duct. _Now is not the time! _she thought angrily, but decided to answer anyway. "What is it?" she asked into the stone, leading herself against one of the walls in the duct.

Senza's voice came out of the stone; fortunately for Tetra, he was whispering. "Miss Tetra... I hope yer almost done because Link's in trouble!"

Her eyes widened. "You don't mean... is he...?"

"Yar, he is. He's fightin' Ganondorf!"

Slapping her forehead, Tetra didn't reply at all. She put the stone away and began to crawl more quickly through the stony passage. She had very little time now to get the Ocarina out of the temple because the kid could lose at any moment and then the guards would return to their posts; thus making near impossible to grab the Ocarina and get out.

-S-

"Gah...!" Link skidded back a few feet and landed on all fours. Ganondorf had just knocked the wind out of him using a powerful blow to his shield. It looked like the gerudo was starting to prepare some of his special techniques that Link saw earlier. It angered him slightly, because he had thought Ganondorf would take him seriously.

Standing up like a man, Link eyed Ganondorf, waiting for the opening he needed. Soon, the gerudo was upon him and shot his right hand forward in a twisting motion at Link. The young warrior jumped up and out of the way of the blade. However, he figured that was another feint as he saw the left-hand sword come swinging down at him.

_Clang! _Link's shield blocked the sword strike and before Ganondorf could ready his right-hand, Link took the opportunity and slashed Ganondorf across the chest. Before he landed on the gerudo, Link brought up his shield to avoid breaking the rules, slamming the gerudo in the chest and knocking him back onto the ground. Link landed in front of him, not noticing the loud gasp of the crowd in the arena, and readied his sword and shield again.

Ganondorf climbed to his feet and took a few paces back from Link. A smile grew on his face despite the fact that his chest was bleeding minorly. "Well done! I haven't had anyone last so long against me before," he said. The break in the attack gave time for Link to rest his muscles, he expected the gerudo to say more, but instead twirled his swords once—a sign that he was ready for combat again.

Link sidestepped out of the way when Ganondorf attacked, but then he backflipped (Link could not believe what he was seeing) and spun himself around with both blades parallel to each other, slashing at Link horizontally. Just in time, once again, Link brought up his shield. Making a risk, Link flipped over, freeing his shield and slammed it into Ganondorf's arm in an attempt to disarm him partially. Unfortunately, it didn't work and left Link open for about a few seconds. He quickly rolled across the grass and grabbed a rock, launching himself up at Ganondorf to try to strike his head.

However, Ganondorf apparently had other plans as knocked Link's sword from his hand. Realizing the danger he was in, the islander managed to block both oncoming attacks with his shield. Falling back, he hit the ground roughly and rolled across the field until he the back of a large rock. He had to find his sword soon, or otherwise he would be permanently disarmed.

To his shock, Ganondorf was already upon him and did something that Link didn't expect. The gerudo threw his left-hand sword at Link. He tried to move out of the way, but the sword pinned him; cutting through his Hero's Clothes. Even if Link could move, Ganondorf was about to slash vertically on Link's body. Had he managed to roll out of the way of the left-hand sword, Link would have been cleaved in two by this next attack.

Thinking fast, Link dropped his shield and twisted himself around so that his legs were against the rock. He then grabbed the hilt of Ganondorf's left-hand sword and pulled it out of the ground. He avoided the first slash and then holding the long sword in both hands, Link parried the next attack.

He was no good at fighting with a two-handed sword (it was about twice his size) and so Link kept dodging, jumping, and rolling out of the way of Ganondorf's swinging attacks. The islander wondered how the gerudo was able to keep his attacks so fluid like at the beginning. Sweating profusely, Link used Ganondorf's own tactic and threw the sword directly at his face. Naturally, Ganondorf moved out of the way, but he gave the boy a curious glance.

Link glanced around the field quickly, hoping to see his sword before Ganondorf would attack. _Oh man, oh man, where is it? _He swung his head towards the north and saw his sword sticking up out of the ground in the distance. Not looking at Ganondorf, Link made a mad dash for his sword and almost swung around the sword as he grabbed the hilt. Drawing it out of the ground, the islander prepared himself for an attack, but saw to his amazement that Ganondorf was still standing near that same rock, and with his left-hand sword still sticking in the ground even.

"What!?" Link shouted with disbelief. "Why didn't come and get me? I was disarmed completely!"

Ganondorf merely smiled and called back: "Because I don't like attacking someone helpless," he said.

Despite how sincere it sounded, Link thought of Tetra and thought: _he has to be lying to me._

"Come and get your shield, too," the gerudo commanded with the authority of his Kingship. He kicked the shield up into the air and disarmed held it in his left arm. "I give you my honor that I won't strike you."

Link then wondered to himself that why Ganondorf didn't stop when he had lost his sword. Thinking about it, the islander shrugged and allowed his muscles another break as he walked across the field towards Ganondorf. As soon as he was within fifteen feet or so, the gerudo smiled and said, "catch!" before throwing Link's shield in his direction.

The islander caught it with his right hand and slipped his arm into the straps on his shield. He bowed respectfully towards Ganondorf for the sake of being polite. The gerudo bowed back and then picked up his left-handed sword. "Now! Let's finish this battle!"

Link couldn't help but agree with Ganondorf. The fight had been going on for a long time. Much longer than his skirmish with Rajin; however, Link didn't want to lose and as far as he could tell, Ganondorf was only mildly wounded and mildly tired-looking. The islander, on the other hand, felt like he was going to drop at any moment. His muscles were recovering their fortitude slowly, but not enough to help him fight the gerudo at the moment.

The odds were against him, just like when everyone had thought that Rajin had beaten Link with his _Blade Dance Technique_. He then thought back to when he was still on the island readying himself for his journey to Hyrule.

_"Then take this shield with you. I have a feeling that you will need it."_

_"Grandma I won't forget you, or Aryll."_

_"I know that, Link. I know that."_

_"I will not disappoint you, Orca. I'm going to come back a champion."_

_"I'll miss you, big brother. I'm not gonna cry though..."_

Feeling something warm in his heart, the young warrior began to feel revitalized. He was not going to give up. Not with the promises he made and the memories of the faces that he saw before he left. Link looked at Ganondorf and nodded. "Alright," he said without fear. "Let's finish this!"

Ganondorf smiled and twirled both swords around once, catching them in his hands. "Good!" Jumping over a rock, Ganondorf slowly approached Link. It was like they had reset the fight back to the beginning. This time; however, Link was going to let the gerudo attack. As they began to circle each other, Link readied his counterattack.

Link didn't realize it, but everyone was silent, including the spectators in the seats below. They were all waiting for the next moves. Everything counted on him. The pirates were counting on him, Tetra was counting on him, and she was right about Ganondorf; then all of Hyrule was counting on him. Feeling the responsibility hanging over his head, Link took a bold stance and waited.

Finally, Ganondorf got the idea and smirked, "Alright..." Suddenly, his voice changed to something darker. As if the mask was suddenly being removed. "I'm coming for you, boy!" The gerudo started walking and the began to run. Link could see that Ganondorf was not just rushing him, there was intention in the gerudo's eyes and confidence on his face.

Immediately, Ganondorf was about to pull something off with his swords, but whatever it was, Link didn't see it. Instead, he rolled across the ground around Ganondorf. He heard the gerudo laugh. "You know that won't work, Link!" As soon as Link was behind the gerudo, he spiraled upwards, with his sword point up. As he expected, Ganondorf parried it while his back was still facing Link, knocking the islander back a little.

But this was all a part of Link's plan. He brought his sword back behind himself and as soon as Ganondorf turned around, Link spun himself around towards the gerudo. The _Whirling Blade Technique_ completely caught the gerudo off-guard and now he was being slashed repeatedly by a spinning Link. The speed of Link's spin attack was so much that Ganondorf's swords were knocked out of his hands and then he was pinned to the wall when Link stopped.

Feeling dizzy, Link quickly tried to regain control of himself in order to steal Ganondorf's swords and then guard against them like he had done with Rajin and then he would win. Thinking that the multiple sword strikes had wounded the gerudo enough to weaken him, Link caught sight of one of Ganondorf's swords and dashed towards it.

He was about to grab the sword when a large, brown hand grabbed the hilt instead. Bleeding from the chest, and breathing in heavily, Ganondorf took the sword out of the ground and faced Link. There was no smile on his face this time.

Without a word said, Ganondorf slashed at Link with a strong blow that cut the grass and the dirt below. Fortunately, Link had slid out of the way. He looked around for the other sword for a second and then found himself bringing his shield to block a powerful blow. He didn't realize it until then, that Ganondorf was using this one sword with both hands.

The force of the swing shot Link back, roughly bouncing across the ground. He felt himself land on something flat and hard. Standing up quickly, he saw it was Ganondorf's other sword. Looking back in Ganondorf's direction. Link readied another feint; this time, he would jump up and pretend to strike at the gerudo's head before unleashing the whirling blade on him again.

Ganondorf, again, rushed Link with the sword and nearly cut the boy's head off. Link ducked and backflipped when he saw Ganondorf try to slice his feet off. Then, the islander realized he had made a terrible mistake.

Without hesitation, the Gerudo King picked his other sword and began to attack. Link quickly brought up his shield without trying to think of a way out when he felt himself being sliced from below across his sides. He hadn't looked to see Ganondorf use vertical, sweeping slashes into the air. It was extremely painful and Link found himself bleeding heavily.

He fell to the ground and coughed up a pool of blood. _No... I... I... lost? But... my promises...!_ Link looked up to see Ganondorf raise his blades for a deathblow when there was a loud scream in the distance the noise of running feet.

"ENOUGH!" Angela yelled at Ganondorf, stopping him from killing Link. "You've won, Mister Bigshot! Don't kill him! I know death happens in this Arena, but it's not going to happen in this fight, especially because he's a child!!" She was standing up to him with no fear, making herself a wall between the gerudo and the islander.

"N... no..." Link gasped, tears flowing from his eyes as he thought about his family and friends on Outset. "No... I can't lose," he said. "Let... let... let... me fight, please."

"Are you crazy, kid!?" Angela spun around and took at him shockingly. "You're going to bleed to death! Your life is more precious than a trophy!" She blew her whistle before anything else could be said and announced loudly, "Link Jacobson has fallen due to serious wounds! Ganondorf Dragmire is the winner!"

Then there were cheers all around the arena. It seemed louder than Link remembered, but soon, he lost all awareness of himself and everything went black.

-S-

"Link!"

"Link! Please wake up!"

Slowly, the islander opened his eyes. "... Am I dead?"

"Yes, you are. You're in heaven, that's why there is a beautiful woman next to you," said a sarcastic voice next to him. At the sound of the voice, he immediately tried to get up and looked around. He was in a sleeping bag out in a field. Nearby, there was a campfire and a couple of tents set up. It was suddenly apparent that he was surrounded by a bunch of pirates in the evening!

"Wha? Gonzo? Senza? Zuko?" Link looked swiftly at each of them, saying their names out-loud until he realized that someone was leaning on his shoulder. He looked in that direction to see none other than the face of Tetra (which startled him a bit). "Wh-whoa! Tetra??" Link's cheeks felt warm. "What... what happened?"

Tetra laughed a little, and Link noticed that she and the rest of the pirates were in their normal pirate-garbs. He also noticed that he, himself was in his orange pants and wearing his blue shirt. He didn't know where his Hero's Clothes were. It was strange seeing them like this now (except Tetra), as he had been used to the pirates dressed as merchants for so long. "Are you feeling better, kid?" Tetra asked, while poking him in the rib. Link winced and she sighed. "I guess that's a 'no,' eh?"

Link sighed and nodded his head. Then, he felt a familiarly disgusting taste in his mouth. "Yuck! Did you have me drink that red stuff again?" he asked, feeling his throat with his hand as if he could get rid of the foul taste.

"Yar," Zuko said next to him. "Unless ya want'd ta die, matey?"

"No, no! That's not it," Link said sheepishly. "Just what happened? I remember being hit by Ganondorf... Angela stopping him... and he..." he felt his shoulders sag unhappily. "... won the battle." He put his hand on his face, trying not to cry in front of the pirates.

"So what?" Gonzo said from behind. "Did you know the crowd was cheering for you when you went out?"

"They were? Why?"

Tetra answered, "Because you broke the record."

"What record?"

Tetra snorted. "Naive as usual, aren't ya?" she remarked with a wink in his direction. Immediately, Link batting his cheeks to get the blush out. "There's a record of how long someone has lasted against Ganondorf since he's been the Champion for ten, well, eleven, now, years. Before you came, the record was about thirty seconds. You lasted about _five minutes_ against him, and almost beat him even!"

Link's jaw dropped. "Wait... is that why they were cheering for me?"

"Yup," Tetra said, smiling at him. Link got the feeling that Tetra was quite pleased with his efforts. "You also gave me and the others enough time to grab the Ocarina and get out of the temple. You had the guards completely distracted from the moment you beat Rajin to the moment that your fight with Ganon ended."

"Oh... you got it? Can I see?" Link asked curiously. He was eager to see a legendary artifact; however, Tetra shook her head.

"Not now. Maybe later. You need to rest and let the potion finish sealing up those nasty wounds."

"Well..." Link laid back, looking up at the stars. "Could you at least tell me how the plan worked in the temple?"

Tetra giggled and looked at the other pirates. They all smiled and nodded in agreement. "Alright, Link. We'll tell you how we stole the _Ocarina of Time_." She stroked one of her fingers against Link's shoulder teasingly. "I'll start."


	14. Chapter 13: Take It and Run

Chapter 13: Take It and Run

Tetra brushed off her vest, and spoke. "So, Gonzo, Nudge, and I went to the Temple. And you, ya little master swordsman ya," she said, ruffling Link's hair. "You had distracted the guards so much better than I hoped. That _Whirling Blade _Technique and using your shield to bash Rajin's head in was very clever of you." She grinned at him and Link felt his face grow warmer.

"Err.. thanks," he muttered shyly. "I tried my best."

"We noticed, mate!" Senza said proudly as if Link were his son. "You're really tough for a such a little guy. I knew when I saw ya that you there was something to you."

"Is that why you tried to stand up for me earlier?" Link asked, looking at Senza. The pirate nodded and gently clapped Link on his right shoulder. "So... what happened after the guards were distracted?"

Tetra was still leaning on Link's left shoulder. "Well, Gonzo, Nudge, and I swapped into clothes with face masks so we couldn't be recognized. I told them the rest of the plan; unfortunately, only I could slip into the ventilation duct and _believe me_ it was tight in there," she said, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "I thought I was going to die in there."

The islander looked at her with a worried look on his face. "Did... did you make it in okay?" Tetra grinned at him again, and Link kept getting the feeling that she knew something about him that he had been keeping quiet—or had been.

"I managed fine," she responded. "About mid-way through, the duct expanded, giving me more breathing air. Though I had barely moved a few more feet when I got a message from Senza."

"Huh? A message?" Link asked. "How?"

Still smiling, Tetra pulling out what seemed to Link as an rough, green, crystal-like stone tied around with some thin ropes, making it into a necklace. "This," Tetra said to him. "This is a special stone I've had with me all my life. It came with a small, shard-like mirror that's the same color of the stone. They're both magical objects," she explained. "And they are connected. The boys can contact me through the mirror to this stone. They'll be able to see me through the mirror, but I'll only hear their voice."

"Wow!" Link's eyes went wide as he stared at the magic stone. "I've never seen or heard of anything like that. Where did you get it?"

"Like I said, kid," Tetra responded, tucking the necklace back into her vest. "I don't remember; it's been with me for all my life. I'm surprised I figured out how to work it and the mirror. Anyway!" she said loudly. "Senza sent me a message that you were fighting Ganondorf. I started to panic and so I moved as quickly as I could. I didn't know you'd last so long against him, kid; I thought you were going to be beaten any moment."

"Wouldn't have the guards still been distracted, though?" Link asked.

"Well yeah, for about a minute," Tetra explained. "And then they would return to their posts. The only reason they moved from them is because they've never seen a twelve-year old take out someone in a sword fight." Smirking and stroking Link's shoulder again (which made him twitch a little), Tetra continued. "So, I moved quickly and managed to drop down into the Temple without being noticed."

Thus, Tetra continued her tale.

-S-

She dropped out of the duct and landed softly on the ground. _Good, they didn't notice me._ There were only two guards, buckled with short swords, carrying spears, and wearing full chain mail armor. However, they looked like they have never seen battle before and, at least to Tetra, looked quite nervous about guarding such a precious artifact.

The _Temple of Time _was made of beautiful white marble on the sides of the walls with tall columns pressing out through the room from the entrance to the _Door of Time_. In the center of the whole Temple was a pedestal with the _Ocarina of Time_. It was bright blue in color and carried the symbol of the Triforce on the back.

The emergency door was on the west side of the Temple and Tetra was on the east side. Therefore, she sneaked over quietly and remained in the shadows—avoiding the light coming from the windows above on the walls—and then walked over to a tapestry next to the emergency door. Reaching underneath, she pulled a chain that opened the door.

Suddenly, before the guards could react (for they heard the door open), Gonzo and Nudge ran in and threw their the sleep bombs at the guards. It happened so fast that Tetra had to cover her nose as she dashed up and grabbed the Ocarina. The guards fell to the stony ground (missing the comfy rug in the middle to their misfortune), perfectly asleep. Immediately, Tetra and her two companions ran outside the door—which closed right behind them (it was magically enchanted to detect when people would leave the temple through that door and then would close automatically for safety reasons).

With that, Tetra told Nudge and Gonzo the bad news about Link fighting Ganondorf. Hurrying as fast as they could, yet as silently as they could. Tetra stopped near their hiding spot where they had hidden their middle-class outfits and saw to her surprise—and relief—that the guards were still distracted and engrossed in the fight.

"Wow! He really knows how to use that _Whirling Blade_ alright!"

One of the guards laughed and looked at his companions. "Maybe we should take some lessons from him. That kid knows how to fight!"

"Did you see how close he was to disarming Ganondorf!? I've never seen anyone pull that off!"

"Yeah, he even used one of Ganondorf's swords against him. This boy must have gone through some intense training to fight like this. Do you think he'll win?"

During the babble, Tetra, Gonzo, and Nudge quickly changed back into the their middle-class outfits and Tetra hid the Ocarina underneath her dress. Then she heard something that alarmed her.

"Uh oh," one of the guards said grimly. "That's not good, he looks pretty bad."

-S-

"We then found out how wounded you were, and carried you out of the arena," Tetra explained. "The referee was kind enough to give us a bottle with some healing liquid in it and some money as a consolation prize for your efforts. We were pretty concerned that you would die."

"You guys were _that_ worried about me?" Link asked. He was very surprised that they cared so much about him. He thought he was just a tool for their mission.

Gonzo smiled. "We bought a lot of healing potions along the way since the first one didn't seem to be enough. You've grown on us, kid. I think we all would have been pretty down if you died."

"Aye!" Zuko confirmed loudly. "Yer one of the best mates we've had. Yer like family to us, now."

"Thanks," Link said after a long time. Then he felt Tetra stroke his shoulder again. "Uhh... wait! Why are we out in the field and how long has it been since Ganondorf knocked me out?" he asked.

"Two days," Mako replied from Link's left. He was sitting on the ground next to Tetra. His books were pilled up beside him like a pillar. "When you stopped bleeding, we removed your Hero's Clothes and put on your normal, islander clothing—which were clean and in an acceptable state," he added pointedly.

"I... I see." Link didn't dare ask if Tetra was around when that happened. He hoped that she hadn't been. "Two days... wow... he... he really must have hurt me. I know I felt the pain," he quickly added, noticing the expressions on the pirates' faces. "But I really wanted to continue and finish the fight, but Angela, the referee wouldn't let me. Then I... I just went out."

"Well..." Tetra eyed him and then grinned. "What you did do was extremely impressive and I'm not surprised Ganon tried to kill you. He really doesn't like anyone beating him, even if he plays nice." She was about to stand when she realized something. "Oh, that's right!" she said, turning her head towards Link's. "You asked why we're in the field instead town, right?"

"Yeah," Link said.

"It's to avoid being caught," Tetra explained. "We need to vanish completely and leave no trace so that that the Royal Family would have to check everywhere for evidence. Without any evidence or a warrant, we can't be taken in for trial or be captured!" she said gleefully. "Then Ganon will never get his filthy hands on the Triforce. No one ever will for the rest of time. It's better that way."

Link saw all the pirates nod around him in agreement. Especially after fighting Ganondorf, he had to agree. That last attack was far too vicious for his supposedly kind character that even fooled Link for a long time.

The sun was still setting in the western sky and Link could feel his body aching from his wounds. "Ugh... I see. I think I ought to rest again. I'm starting to feel the pain of it... badly," he said. The pirates all stood up to give him some air and nodded to Link. Then, they started to go about the camp, probably to prepare things.

"Rest well then, kid," Tetra said, getting off his shoulder and letting the islander lay back in the sleeping bag.

Link thought about the pirates and how they cared about him—his life even. It was very comforting, and he felt like he had more friends in the world now than he could have ever possibly imagined. He was happy, happy that there were people that saw him as a person and not a tool.

As he began to doze off, Link caught sight of Tetra throwing him a wink before he fell asleep.

-S-

It was nighttime when Link woke up. He rubbed his eyes gently and looked up at the stars. It made him recall the times he and Aryll would go as far as possible up the west island's mountainside back at Outset. They would use Aryll's telescope to try and see if they could get a better view. On some of those nights, Link remembered he would take out his own ocarina and start playing it.

_I can almost remember how the notes went,_ he thought. Suddenly, he realized that there was a real song being played on an ocarina; not just his memories. He sat up and listened. It was a beautiful song, and he wondered who was playing. Standing up, Link listened for where the song was coming from. Then he figured it out; the song was coming from the campfire. For a moment, he couldn't see anything but the flames, but it didn't take long before he could see clearly.

There at the campfire, he saw Tetra playing the _Ocarina of Time_. There was something strange, as if the instrument and the player knew each other, at least, that's what Link thought from the way Tetra played it. When Link himself had played his ocarina he believed that each one, when played by its owner, had a specific tone that no other person could make when playing it. _Huh? But I thought Tetra stole that ocarina...?_

Link's curiosity took his mind from reality and there was only him, the campfire and Tetra playing the _Ocarina of Time_. A surge of feeling entered his heart and he suddenly wanted to be close to her and listen to that song she was playing. Without thinking, he paced over to the fire, entranced and attracted to the site. He took a seat next to Tetra on the log. The pirate captainess didn't seem to notice him at all, too immersed in her world of song.

Suddenly aware of what he was doing, Link glanced around and realized that truly, he and Tetra were alone. The other pirates seemed to have vanished themselves, despite a couple tents that had been set up. He began to feel a little nervous sitting next to Tetra, but at the same time he didn't want to leave. The song was so beautiful, and he wondered where the she had learned to play.

Then his mouth suddenly opened without his permission. "Tetra, where did you learn to play that?" he asked while looking at her. Suddenly Tetra stopped rather abruptly, nearly jumped in her seat, and almost lost her grip on the _Ocarina of Time_. Link wondered, _Did I startle her? That would be a first._

"Wh-what? Hey! Aren't you supposed to be resting, kid?" Tetra asked, rather defensively.

"I'm sorry," Link apologized. "I mean... I was, but I woke up."

"Oh, I see. Let me guess," she responded. "The song attracted you over here, huh?" She chuckled, and seemed to let herself relax. "Either that," she said, her voice starting to become suggestive. "Or you thought seeing me play an instrument was pretty sexy." Tetra allowed herself to laugh menacingly.

"Gah! What!?" Link could not help it; he was certain that his face was completely bright red at the moment. He batted his cheeks with his hands quickly. "What... what do you mean by that?" he asked slowly.

"Oh, come on!" Tetra whacked his back, which stung a lot (he had forgotten about the injuries). "Do you think I'm _that _dense, Link?" she asked hypothetically while rolling her eyes. "I've known it for awhile now." She smirked smugly and looked at him, making direct eye-contact. "I know you have a crush on me."

Tetra hit the nail on the head, and Link couldn't believe that she had just said that. "H-how long have you kn-known?" he stammered, rubbing his back tenderly.

"Since you first looked at me," she said. "Well, no," Tetra corrected herself (which relaxed Link a little). "Since we landed at Windfall. That morning I got the idea that you liked me." She stretched out her arms a little. "You never figured it out, eh? Why do you think I played all those pranks on you?" she added with a very mischievous grin that was all too familiar to Link.

"What? Wait... you mean..." Link's jaw dropped, and he felt rather insulted. "You were playing with my heart the whole time!? Just because I have a crush on you!?" He stood up angrily, only to hurt his back more. Slumping back onto the log, he glared at her.

"Whoa..." Tetra chuckled softly. "I didn't expect you to explode. And I see you're still injured," she added, poking him in the ribs again. Link winced, and growled at Tetra angrily. "My, my. Have I unleashed a terrible beast?" She twirled the _Ocarina of Time_ in her hands and then began to play another song, but abruptly stopped after the first note. "Kid, did you ever think that maybe... well... that _I _might have a crush on you?" Then, she started to play a rather pleasant song.

The music actually began to calm his nerves as he started blushing again. "Well... I... actually... yeah, I did consider that. I thought..." Link felt extremely awkward now. Here, Tetra was playing this nice little song. She was a pretty, attractive young girl, playful, fun, and unpredictable. "I thought you were flirting with me."

Tetra stopped playing and licked her lips. "Oh? Really...?" she said, raising one of her eyebrows. "How interesting," she said before returning to her song. Link wanted to get angry, wanted to get back at her, but the song was so soothing.

Link decided to be direct, no more beating around the bush. "Well?" he finally said. "Are you going to tell me if you were or not?"

Tetra stopping playing the Ocarina for a second. "No," she said sweetly, and then she started playing again.

This time, though, the song wasn't enough keep back Link's anger. He grabbed his hair and pulled it, not enough to pull it out, but enough to feel pain in his head. Letting go, Link glared at Tetra again and wanted to get vengeance on her. He had only a simple crush on her, and she had the gall to play around with his heartstrings without being serious about it.

Suddenly, she stopped, "Oh, that's right. You asked me a question earlier, hmm?" Tetra didn't wait for a response, it was like she could sense Link's boiling anger. "I'm not sure exactly," she sighed, and then leaned back to look up at the stars. "I think I learned how to play an ocarina when I was a child. Much younger. Funny," she added. "I always used to play it at night."

"What?" Link suddenly forgot how angry he was and became very curious. "... I... I used to do that with my sister all the time, too." The atmosphere for Link wasn't very awkward anymore. Now, he wanted to listen to Tetra some more.

He waited silently for her to speak. "I guess it always comforted me at night—when I was afraid of my dreams. My nightmares." Tetra's eyes shifted towards Link nervously, as if she had said something that she shouldn't have in front of her. "Why did you ask?"

Link shifted his feet on the ground and then looked back at her. "Well... I've always believed that the owner of an ocarina would have a specific tone when playing his or her ocarina. Whenever someone else tried to play it though, they wouldn't be able to..." he fumbled with the words in his mouth. He expected Tetra to say "spit it out" like she had at Windfall, but she didn't. It looked like she was really interested in what he had to say.

Finally, he finished his sentence. "They wouldn't be able to make that same tone. It would sound different. It's like the ocarina and the owner of it are connected somehow. In a way that can't be broken," he added. "And well... you stole that Ocarina, right? But... to me it seems like you have that connection with the _Ocarina of Time_ when you play it."

Tetra remained silent for awhile, making Link wonder what she was thinking. Finally, she sat up straight and looked Link in the eye. She looked very serious. No more mischief, no more teasing, she looked serious. Now, Link was starting to get the feeling, that this type of look was one of the reasons Tetra was the captain, not any of the others. Despite this feeling of intimidation, Link kept his back straight and looked back at her.

Finally, she shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said, looking away. A half-smile appeared on her face. "Perhaps that's true. Perhaps I was an owner of this Ocarina once. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I'm trying to get it away from Ganon." she looked back at Link and grinned. "It's not his."

Link almost grinned back. He felt like moving closer to her; in his mind, he wanted to ask her if he could hold the _Ocarina of Time_, but somewhere inside, he just wanted to get closer to her. He was about to shift closer to her on the log when a loud voice cried out towards the camp (immediately Tetra put the Ocarina of Time underneath her vest).

"'hoy there!" It was Gonzo, followed by Senza and Niko. Tetra stood up and placed her foot on a nearby stump. The pirates stopped and a look of fear crossed their faces. Especially Niko, he almost turned around to run when Tetra spoke clearly, yet not loudly.

"What did I tell you, boys, about announcing to the camp? Hmm?" Tetra folded her arms and huffed. "You're not supposed to yell! I don't want our position to be given away. Remember... the sentence for stealing the _Ocarina of Time_ is _death_!" All the pirates swallowed loudly.

Link's jaw dropped. _Death? I didn't know about this! Oh, man... I hope we don't get caught!_ He became so nervous that he thought that he might not be able to get to sleep tonight, at all.

"S-sorry, Miss Tetra," Gonzo mumbled. Niko was cowering behind Senza in fear. This would be funny to Link if death wasn't involved with the situation. "I won't do it again," Gonzo said, scratching his head behind his purple bandanna.

"Alright, alright," Tetra said, calming down and getting off of the stump. "I'm really stressed. I'm not interested in getting caught, being executed and letting Hyrule fall into Ganon's grasp. It's a pretty heavy burden on all of us and hard to get rid of."

Then it clicked, Link realized why she had been playing—to calm her own nerves. "Um... Tetra?"

She sighed irritatedly, "Yes, Link?"

"I..." he stammered. "I didn't know that... death was the sentence for stealing it... I..."

"It's okay, kid," she said as calmly as possible. "You have the full right to be scared; we all do for Farore's sake." She took in a deep-breath and exhaled. "How are the others?" she asked. "Are they going to make it to the ship okay?"

"I think so," Senza said. "Zuko and the others are pretty good at sneaking around. I'm sure they'll be able to grab our ship by night." He, and Gonzo walked over to the fire and sat down on logs next it across from Link. Niko, on the other hand, was still cowering on the grass. Ironically, Tetra paid him no mind.

Link looked at Tetra curiously. "Wait," he said. "Didn't you say we couldn't go into Kakariko Port because we needed to... uhh..." he tried to think of the word. "Leave no traces at all?" Then he realized what a stupid question that was and before Tetra could say anything, Link waved his hand in front of him and laughed uneasily. "No. no, no, no. I get it. We can't leave without the ship. Ha ha."

Tetra sighed again, and ironically, to Link's surprise (and possibly delight), Tetra sat down on the log right next to him. He thought she was actually sitting closer to him than when they were talking before. "Well, not only that, but they're taking the ship towards Gerudo Valley, but not quite into it, and lodging the ship there." Tetra eyed Link and said, "Gerudo Valley is the home of the gerudos, obviously. It's just to the west of here. We'll be close to it, but not in it."

Link nodded his head at her. "So, the others are gone.. but there are only two tents," he said, counting the blue tents that were set up. "Do you need to set up a third?"

Tetra smiled mischievously and Link suddenly had a bad feeling inside of him. "Yes, there's a third tent. Zuko, Nudge, and Mako have it," she explained to Link. "Gonzo, and the others are staying in that tent," she said, pointing to one of them. "And you and I are staying in the other."

It was just like the hotel, except worse now because of the lack of space. Link was afraid Tetra would kill him if he accidentally rolled over on top her in his sleep. Even more so, he now knew that she knew about his crush on her, which could change things for the worst.

Gonzo and the others looked utterly shocked—even Niko had stopped cowering to gasp at Tetra. "What? I'm not going to be in a tent all alone! You boys _know _I hate sleeping alone at night," she added grimly. "I know you can handle yourselves and I trust Link will keep his hands to himself."

Link was certain that the heat that he was feeling was not coming from the campfire. _My hands to myself?_ He wondered. _Why did she mention that?_ He was beginning to feel very uncomfortable now and he needed something to change the subject. He thought and then got an idea. "Hey, umm... where are my Hero's Clothes?" he asked.

"Niko should be washing them," Tetra said, looking at Niko with one eye opened.

The beaver-faced pirate was very nervous. "Th-they should be done in th-the mornin', Miss Tetra. No problem at all." This time, he looked like a beaver that had built the shakiest dam in all the world, with a poor foundation.

However, that seemed perfectly fine to Tetra. She nodded with approval and then said, "Alright, I'd say we should retire. Link, I'll help you get your sleeping bag into the tent, kay?" Not waiting for a response, she stood up and looked at Senza and Gonzo, "Which one of you are going to keep watch tonight first?" she asked, folding her arms again.

Gonzo stood up. "I am, Miss. Senza's goin' to take the second, but who do you want for the third?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I think we're only going to have two watches tonight," she explained with a deep sigh. "I hope you two are ready for a long night watch. Link is too injured still to do much. So, let's not put any weight on him." Nothing needed to be said about Niko. Link knew there was no possible way for him to be put on watch. "Alright?"

"Aye-aye, miss!" Senza, Gonzo, and Niko saluted her. Satisfied, Tetra clapped her hands twice—quietly and looked to each person before looking at the sky for a second. Link knew why, there was no moon up in the sky that night, so it was going to be a fairly dark night without moonlight to protect them.

"Alright then," Tetra said, sounding almost like a mother to her children. "Time for bed, everyone. I feel wasted." Niko and Senza headed for their tent and went inside. Looking rather sober, Gonzo stayed outside next to the campfire and drew his sword. "C'mon, Link," Tetra said, startling him a little. "Let's get your sleeping bag into my tent."

While he felt extremely uncomfortable about the idea of staying in a tent with Tetra, Link had no choice but to comply. Sighing, he followed Tetra reluctantly to his sleeping bag. "Okay, I'll pick up one end and you pick up the other," she said. He did so and with some pain to his arms, he and Tetra managed to get it inside the tent. Once inside, Link fell on top of it from fatigue.

"Ow... I didn't realize... how wounded I still am," he moaned. "You wouldn't have any of those red potions left? Would you?" he asked as politely as he could. He didn't want to anger Tetra. Because Link knew how much pressure she was under. He wanted to mention how well she played the Ocarina, but he thought that if he did, it might bring up the idea of being executed for stealing it.

"Yeah, we do," Tetra said, looking at him. Link felt relieved, the look on her face was just neutral. "Unfortunately, we only have half a bottle left, and you know how bad it tastes, right?"she added with a sly smirk; it seemed forced though.

"Yeah, but I'll take it now if it'll help me," Link said. He was in a lot of pain, and felt like he couldn't move. "I feel like I'm glued to the floor." Then he wished he hadn't said that. Tetra would probably pull another prank and give him a massage (even though, he liked it in reality), and he thought that might lead to other things in such close quarters.

"Okay, but it sounds like you're going to need a back-rub," Tetra responded with exactly what he didn't want to hear, except that Tetra didn't sound very impish about it at the time. He looked over and saw her fiddling with a large pouch, reaching around and looking for something inside. "I promise not to torture you this time like I did last time, kay? I get the feeling you're going need one." Since she sounded truly concerned, he decided to give in and let her do it. "Besides, we landed your sleeping bag over mine, and unless you want to sleep that way—"

"No, it's fine!" Link cut her off. "Sure, I'll take the potion... what's left of it, that is, and a back-rub." He had to admit, he would need more strength if he were to move the sleeping bag again. Link was amazed at how much damage Ganondorf had done to him. Finally, Tetra pulled out a half-empty bottle of red liquid, and then walked over to Link. She knelt down and handed him the potion. Using all the strength he could, Link sat up, uncorked the bottle and drained the entire potion. It tasted like absolute dung to him—the worst taste of that type potion he had ever had. "Ugh. That was really nasty."

"I don't blame you," came Tetra's voice from behind him. His shirt was removed and Tetra began to give him the massage. This time, as she had promised, she didn't torture him. She did it for Link's benefit. And for that, he was extremely grateful for. After it was done, Link could already feel strength returning to his muscles. "There you go, how do you feel?" Tetra asked.

"A lot better. Thank you."

Tetra smiled kindly at him, which caused him to blush a little, but he stood up and moved his sleeping bag off Tetra's and instead sat it parallel to hers. Immediately, he slipped underneath the covers and put his head back. "Tetra?" he asked, not even looking at her.

She sighed, sounding slightly annoyed. "What is it, kid?"

"I... I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Link felt pretty bad for yelling at her when she was under so much pressure. He was surprised that she hadn't shot back at him angrily now that he understood the situation.

Keeping his eyes away, Link heard Tetra giggle. "That's alright. I'm sorry for taunting you. I can understand why you'd have a crush on me," she said softly. "Now, can you turn yourself around towards the tent wall so I can change?"

Remembering that Tetra trusted Link to "keep his hands to himself," he said, "Sure, but I'll probably be asleep before you're done anyway. Though, one thing," he said, pausing the conversation. Link almost turned around to look at her, but then he stopped himself. "Why did you say to the other guys that you were sure that'd I'd 'keep my hands to myself?' Just out of curiosity," he added quickly.

He could hear the sound of moving clothing; Tetra was probably changing. Link could just imagine her keeping a sharp eye on the islander because she didn't want him peeping on her (he wouldn't have anyway). Link heard Tetra chuckle. "You don't get it? They were _jealous _that you get to be in my tent. So, I had to give them a reason."

"Jealous?" Link was pretty shocked. "What? They are way older than you! How could they possibly have any-"

Tetra cut him off. "They don't. It's the father 'no boy is good enough for my daughter' complex. Remember, they did raise me for the past four and a half years." She had a good point, Link had to admit. It seemed like Gonzo and the others were worried that Link might do something they wouldn't like with Tetra in the same tent.

Link knew though, that he was better than that. He was, indeed, going to keep his hands to himself. It was dishonorable and disrespectful to treat a girl or a lady in such a way—that's what Orca taught him. "I see. I understand. I promise I won't do anything to you, Tetra... by my honor as a warrior."

"Oh gosh! You don't need to make an oath over it!" Tetra laughed. Link heard her drop to the floor and slide through something, probably her sleeping bag. "Get some sleep, Link. You're going to need all the rest you can get for tomorrow." Without saying anything, Link agreed with her and fell into a deep sleep.

-S-

Tetra had been right; that next day, Link got up to find out that he was going to help carry the supplies like the tents and other things. Tetra herself lugged the large pouch on her back and stayed in the middle of the group. Gonzo was marching in front, Niko was second, Tetra was third, Link was fourth, and Senza was last. They traveled at a fast pace that Link could barely keep up with, for hours across the field until it was nightfall. There, Link wanted to know how long until they reached the shore.

"Probably another day or so," Senza said to him. "We got to keep moving every day. There's a phrase pirates and thieves like to use. 'Take it and run,'" he explained. The large, wall-like pirate was cooking some sausages over the campfire. Unfortunately for the group, they had little food, and Link was starting to miss all those delicious meals they ate at the Tavern.

Then he remembered something. "Hey, do you guys have a sauce-pan I can use?"

Senza looked at Link with a blank stare and then nodded. "Yeah, there should be one over there with Miss Tetra's pouch. Feeling bold, Link decided to go look without asking Tetra. Dangerous, but he was very hungry, and to mention invincible; for he was wearing his Hero's Clothes and was armed once again as his strength had returned to him.

As he reached the large travel-pouch, Link was about to put his hand in when he heard a voice from behind that scared him; it was Tetra. "What are you doing, kid? Hmm?" She sounded slightly annoyed. Every bit of Link's boldness was stamped out by Tetra's mere presence, despite his strength and equipment.

Feeling really guilty, Link removed his hand and turned around to face Tetra. She was silhouetted by the campfire behind her in the distance and Link swore he could see her blue eyes. "Umm... I just needed to use a sauce-pan. I have something I need to warm up and I was hungry. Can I please take a look?" he asked rather feebly with his hands behind his back.

Tetra sighed and rolled her eyes. "... Alright. Sure," she agreed with a half-smile on her face. "But next time, ask me first, kay?" There, she helped Link search for the sauce-pan and eventually they found it near the bottom of the pouch. It was a small sauce-pan with a wooden handle. Very simple, but it satisfied Link's needs.

"Thank you," he said to Tetra and then he returned to the campfire. Opening up his Adventurer's Pouch tied to his belt, Link pulled out a bottle of his Grandmother's soup. "I hope this is still good," he said to himself, not really caring that Senza was there to hear him talk to himself. Uncorking the bottle, he poured the soup carefully into the sauce-pan until the bottle was empty. Putting its cork back on, Link put the bottle back into the pouch and tied it up.

Then, he raised the sauce-pan into the fire to warm up the soup. Soon, the fresh smell of his Grandmother's soup began to extend from the fireplace to all around the camp. "Wow, that smells good, Link," Senza commented before taking a bite into one of his sausages. He chewed and then swallowing before asking, "what is it?"

"It's my Grandmother's soup," Link said happily. "She gave me two bottles of it to take on the trip across the sea." He brought the sauce-pan back for a second and checked the temperature with his finger—it wasn't warm enough yet so he raised the pan again into the fire. "It's really good, and keeps well too inside bottles."

Senza chuckled. "Sounds like you have a nice family. A little sister, a nice 'ol grandma, and parents?"

Link's smiled faded. "No. My dad died trying to protect the village on Outset, and my mom died after giving birth to Aryll." He sighed, hoping that Aryll and his Grandmother were still there at Outset and safe from harm. Link missed them.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Senza said. "I bet ya can sympathize with Miss Tetra. She lost her parents at a young age, too. Though," he added quietly, his voice sounding somewhat guilty. "Not like the way yer mother died. I'm sorry to bring that up again, mate."

"That's okay," Link responded. "It's something I've had to deal with every day at Outset. Though, Ayrll is so happy all the time. She's like a bouncing bunny. Cute and lovable, too." The conversation went silent after awhile, as Link let time slip by, letting the soup cook in the fire.

Finally, Link pulled it back and checked the temperature again. This time, it was ready. He pulled out the bottle again and began to pour some of the soup back in. "Mmm..." a voice came from behind him. "That smells good, kid." It was Tetra, again. This time she sat down next to him on the log to his right. She had an empty bottle in her hands. "So, that's your grandmother's cooking? Eh?"

Link nodded at Tetra. "I know this might be selfish, but may I have a taste?" she asked politely. The islander smiled. Inside, he felt like this was a chance to show some more respect to Tetra, and hopefully get her attention.

"Sure, bring your bottle over here." To his surprise, Tetra just shifted across the log until she was right next to him—in breathing range almost. _Is she playing with my crush again? _He wondered. Even so, he poured a little bit of the soup into her bottle and handed it back to her. Link knew he was blushing, but this time, he didn't care. It felt good to share something he loved with Tetra. It was a feeling he couldn't describe at all, it just felt right.

Tetra put her mouth to the bottle and drank a little bit of the soup. Link would have done the same, except he was entirely interested in the pirate captainess's opinion of his Grandmother's cooking. Tetra pulled the bottle back and stared at the remaining soup. "Wow! This is really good! It feels good too, like my body is being purged out by it." Link was so happy that Tetra liked it, and by the end of the night, Link had given her one half of the soup.

That night, Tetra had never been as friendly to him as ever before. Link felt a sense of victory inside of him, as if he had won some sort of prize that he couldn't touch, but he could feel. It was a strange sensation in him that he enjoyed.

During the next day, he was still pleased as he marched behind Tetra. He felt the desire to protect her more than before. Even as he kept his eyes peeled for any attackers that might try to raid them for their stuff or Royal Family warriors trying to take back the _Ocarina of Time_ (even if that was foolish, he still wanted to protect her).

However, the day passed by quickly and in the late afternoon, the little band of pirates and their swordsman finally saw the shore and the pirate ship waiting for them. Link had never really seen it from the outside. It was quite a beautiful vessel for something used by the most feared pirate group on the seas. The rim was gold and there was a wonderfully carved dragon-shaped head at the front of the ship.

In the distance, they saw hands waving from the the deck. Zuko, Mako, and Nudge were waiting for them all. It was a welcome sight for Link's eyes and as soon as they reached the shore and crossed up the gangplank, the young swordsman felt like he was meeting them again for a second time. It was strange, the pirate ship almost felt like home to him.

"So... I guess you're going to take me home now, right?" Link asked after they had put all their supplies and pouches away, and rolled up the gangplank before setting sail. Everyone had gathered near the helm of the ship where Gonzo was once again guiding it with the wind at their side.

Tetra sighed and shook her head. "No. We're still not done yet."

"What do we have left to do?" Link asked.

Tetra looked around at her pirates and half-smiled. "We need to return to our hideout, the _Forsaken Fortress_, and hide the _Ocarina of Time_ in a way that no one will ever be able to find it again."


	15. Chapter 14: Captured

Chapter 14: Captured

"What?" Link said, placing his hand on his chest. "Wait, why are you taking me along for this?" Looking around nervously, he added, "I mean, I'm not trying to complain, but I thought you were going to take home first."

Tetra grinned—another mischievous grin that sent a shiver down Link's spine. "Well..." she began, sounding a little dark. "We can't have other witnesses about this." The islander's heart froze in fear as he felt his life being endangered. Suddenly, Tetra started laughing, apparently after seeing the expression on his face. "Sometimes, kid. You are so easy to scare."

"Wait... so..." Link still felt edgy. He had the urge to run away back onto the mainland and find another way home. He sallowed. "So... you're n-not going to kill me?" he asked. The other pirates around him chuckled and Tetra kept up her dominating smirk.

"Of course not," she said. Link relaxed, exhaling. "I think we can trust you not to tell what happened concerning the _Ocarina of Time,_" she said, folding her arms. Tetra shifted her weight to her left foot and leaned back a bit. "But...!" She added. "... there is something we _do_ need to do one thing with you."

"Um... what's that?"

"This," Tetra said, and she snapped her fingers. Link wasn't ready for it when it came: a huge blow from behind his head that knocked the islander out completely.

-S-

Link's head was still in pain when he woke up, and it took him awhile to figure out where he was. He felt cold stone against the palms of his hands as he pushed himself up. "Oww..." Link rubbed his head tenderly, wondering why Tetra had him knocked out when he suddenly realized he was in a room, surrounded by walls of dark stone. There was no window, but there was in front of, bars and a prison door.

Scrambling up from where he was, Link grabbed hold of the bars and began to shake them. He was shocked and a little afraid that he had been knocked out and put into a prison cell. _What... are they going to do to me?_ Link thought nervously. Immediately, he checked his belongings. He had his sword, his shield, Aryll's telescope (which was thankfully in one piece), an empty bottle, and a stopped bottle of soup, along with his pouch and Adventurer's pouch. With all the stuff in his pouches were his other set of clothes. He was also still wearing his green clothes, cap, white pants, and brown boots. Everything seemed in order.

Link looked around, he couldn't tell what floor he was on, but he could see the room outside of the cell. The walls were all made of dark gray stone. A small lantern hung from the ceiling by coarse rope tied to some sort of hook. It was the only light in the room, and yet, ironically enough, it illuminated the room quite well; however, it was still old and gloomy-looking.

Pulling out his sword, Link slid it through the bars, trying to reach the lock. Even though it was made out of metal, he thought that he might be able to break the lock, and free himself. As he was trying to swing his weapon at the lock, he heard someone giggling nearby. He stopped and looked to his left only to see Tetra leaning against a stone wall outside of the prison bars.

"So you finally woke up?" Tetra asked casually. "And already trying to break free?" she added with an almost innocent giggle.

Angry and scared, Link glared at Tetra and said, "Why'd you do this!? Why did you knock me out and lock me up!? I thought you said I was trustworthy not to tell!"

While Link was fuming, Tetra kept her cool and casually walked over to the prison door to face Link. "Sorry," she apologized. "I had to do it, I didn't want you to know how we got to our hideout."

Frowning, Link pulled his sword back through the bars. "But...!"

"It's just a safety precaution," Tetra said. She leaned against the prison bars and looked at her nails. "Remember what the penalty is for stealing that Ocarina? Hmm?" Link bit his lower-lip and nodded. "Right. Even if you did tattle on us, you'd be also suspect to the crime. Meaning the Royal Family, if they found the proper evidence, could execute you, too," she explained. She looked at him sideways and smiled. "So, this is not only a precaution for us, but for your life too."

The islander felt like he couldn't argue with that. It also never occurred to him that not knowing the location of the pirates' hideout might save his life. Thus, he started to calm down. "Um... but, Tetra... why not blindfold me instead? Because.. this," he said, rubbing his head very tenderly. "Really hurts."

Tetra blinked, looking a little surprised. "Hmm, I actually didn't think of that." She rubbed her chin and nodded. "We'll blindfold you on the way back to your home. Fair?" she asked.

"Fair. Just let me out, please?" Link said. He was trying to ask as politely as he could. Tetra undid the strings on one of her own Adventurer's pouch, and pulled out a large ring with several keys on it. Link's face lit up at the sight of them and hoped to be freed soon.

"... maybe we should play a little game, Link." Tetra said. Link's hope was dashed to pieces like a weak ship in a violent ocean. "Try and guess which one of these keys is the prison key and I'll let you out. 'Kay? Though, there's a catch." Link was dreading this, because Tetra had that impish glint in her eyes. "You have only three guesses," she said, before snickering.

"What!?" Link felt completely exasperated. "But.. if I don't guess the right one, you'll just... keep me locked up in here!?" He grabbed his head and moaned, "what are you thinking!?" He was really starting to miss his home, and here, Tetra was playing with him again.

Tetra laughed. "I love messing with you, kid." Sighing contently like a cat that had captured its prey perfectly, Tetra dangled the keys in front of Link's cell. "Well, start guessing!"she said, grinning.

Link couldn't take it anymore. "I hate you!!" he almost bellowed at her.

"Awww..." Tetra said, pretending to look sad. "And I thought you had a crush on me." She stuck her tongue out at him and smiled again. "Sad... very sad. It hurts me to hear that, Link, it really does," she said, snickering quietly.

The islander was now just dumbfounded. How could she be so cruel to him after all he had done for her? He groaned and shook the bars again, startling Tetra. Link really wanted to go home, and was almost ready to cry. Yet, despite the fact she was taunting him, Link didn't want to cry in front of Tetra—he felt embarrassed, so he turned his back on her and slid back against the bars. He wondered though, was he enjoying this somehow? He felt extreme anger towards Tetra, but he almost wanted her to taunt him again, while at the same time he wanted her to stop.

Suddenly, he heard a voice in his ear. "Sometimes, Link, you're cute when when you're really frustrated." Link knew he was blushing. _She thinks I'm... cute? _The remark hit his heart in a weird way, and for some odd reason he said, "You're... pretty cute yourself, Tetra." Realizing what he had just said, Link covered his mouth.

"Why, thank you," she replied, sounding quite pleased. "... come on, at least try one guess," she urged him. Tetra poked Link from behind through the bars, causing him to jump. He still didn't want to turn around, this time, for the mere reason that he didn't want Tetra to see his face. He heard her sigh with disappointment. "Well... maybe I'll just go now."

Link almost rammed himself into the bars, and Tetra was already walking away. "No! Wait, Tetra, don't leave me in here! ... especially after everything I've done for you." The pirate girl stopped, and turned around slowly.

"Will you guess at least once?" she asked, holding one of the keys up. "Just to humor me?" Link nodded hastily, and Tetra return to her spot in front of the prison bars. She brought the keys close enough so Link could just barely touch them. "Well, have at it."

Link looked at the keys carefully. At first glance, the keys looked all the same, they were gray and silver-like in color, and they were all the same shape and size. Yet, there was one in the middle that, to Link, stood out from the others. He reached out and poked that key.

A surprised smile appeared on Tetra's face. "Ooh... nice." Link's jaw was about to drop. Had he guessed the right key on his first try? "... so close," she said, and Link nearly fell over in his cell. "That was a really close guess. Good job, kid." She walked over and unlocked the cell door.

Link rushed out of the cell quickly as if staying inside too long would have locked him in again. He moved so fast, that he caught Tetra off-guard and accidentally bumped into her, causing them to crash to the ground. "Ow... are you okay, Tetra?"

The pirate captainess merely stood up and brushed off her white pants. "Yes, I'm fine." As Link stood up, he noticed a strange expression on Tetra's face. It looked like a cross between regret and worry. Sighing she looked at him. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have taunted you like that. ... will you forgive me, Link?"

Link was still angry. He was tempted to yell at her, but as he looked at her, he saw her lovely blue eyes and her pretty face. Link remembered the first time he had set his eyes on Tetra's face days ago when he had been recovering from his near-death experience on the seas. Smiling a little, he nodded and said, "sure." Despite what had happened, he still liked her.

Link began to move towards her when suddenly a voice made him stop.

"Miss Tetra! We got a problem!" Gonzo appeared in the hallway, he looked frightened. "The searchlights... they've been turned on!"

"What!?" Tetra said. She sounded quite shocked. Link didn't know why, and he wondered what 'searchlights' were. "I thought those things were broken!" She huffed and adjusted her red neckerchief. "Did you see who was using them?" Tetra asked.

"No, Miss," Gonzo said. He shook his head, and placed his hand on the chest of his dirty-green colored shirt. "We couldn't avoid them. The searchlights are all movin' around the lower floors and on tower of the fortress!" So, Link was in the _Forsaken Fortress._ He had never thought otherwise as he had been too concerned with getting out of that prison.

"Umm... excuse me," Link said. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what are 'searchlights' and why do you want to avoid them?" He hoped that he did not sound stupid, even though he was confused as to what was currently happening in the fortress. _Is this a good thing or a bad thing?_ _It seems like a bad one._

Tetra had no smirk, nor smile on her face. She looked quite serious. "Searchlights are huge lamps basically that point light in one direction, with the light in a cone-like shape," she explained. Link still looked at Tetra with a confused look on his face. Sighing, Tetra rolled her eyes. "Darn it. Sometimes it can be so hard to explain things like this. You might have to see it for yourself." She looked at Gonzo. "Are the searchlights watching over the front gate?"

"No, Miss," Gonzo replied. "Well, that is when we saw them. They might have started moving the lights over other areas." He swallowed. "... Does this mean we're busted, Miss Tetra?" he asked. He looked quite afraid, and Link himself felt the coils of horror wrapping themselves around his heart.

"W-wait!" Link said. "You mean that maybe Ganondorf or the Royal Family found out about us!?"

"It's possible," Tetra said calmly. She folded her arms and exhaled. "But if they already knew, they probably wouldn't be using the searchlights." She walked over to a rack of equipment leaning against the back wall that Link had not noticed before. A smirk appeared on her face. "Care to help us again, kid?"

"What do you need, Tetra?" Link asked. He was still looking at the rack. It was full of all sorts of weapons, devices, and items that were almost all foreign to him (He recognized the round blue bombs, pirate scimitars, and daggers). The pirate captainess went over and grabbed a bundle of rope with a three-pronged hook at the end, and then dropped it in Link's hands. "What? What's this?" he asked.

"This is a grappling hook, kid," Tetra explained. "You throw it and the hook 'grapples' whatever you're aiming at... well... if you hit it right. It's a good way of climbing up tall walls and the like." She grabbed one herself. "Those searchlights are on the upper floor. Care to help us sneak up there and stop whoever is using those searchlights, Link?"

He nodded. "Sure." Link didn't want to be caught either. He knew it was a crime, but it was done for the greater good of the world. They had no evidence, except Tetra's doubts about Ganondorf's morals, and her belief that Ganondorf was out to get the _Triforce_. "But I need to know how to use this."

"Just watch me, kid," Tetra said. She turned around and looked at Gonzo. "Gather the others, get your grappling hooks and let's get up there quietly, silently and without being seen." Gonzo immediately left, leaving the islander and the pirate captainess alone. Looking up to the ledge of the upper floor, Link assumed there was a way to walk there. But it sounded like if they were going to use grappling hooks to 'climb up' as Tetra had said, then going up the stairs may have been a bad idea.

"Hey, kid," Tetra said. "Pay attention, will ya?" She tapped him on the shoulder. Link looked at her, a little startled because he had been staring off into space while his mind had wandered.

"'Kay, here's how you do it. First, twirl the hook close to your right... well, left for you, arm using your hand," she explained, beginning the motions herself with the hook. "Then, toss it!" Immediately, Tetra threw the hook up onto the ledge above them. "And make sure you have a good grip," she said, pulling the rope until it was tight. "And then, climb up." The pirate captainess pulled herself up, grabbing the rope with each hand she went up. Within a few seconds she was on the second floor.

At the top, Tetra stuffed her grappling hook in her adventurer's pouch. "And here I am!" she said. "Now, climb up here, and be quick about it!" she commanded. "This is still an emergency, you know."

Nodding, Link took the grappling hook in his hands and tried to imitate Tetra's actions. He twirled the hook with some rope to spare and tossed it towards the ledge. _Got it!_ The hook gripped onto the ledge. With one hand after the other, Link climbed up to the top and pulled himself to the floor.

"Not bad. Not bad," Tetra said. "But, you're a little slow on the climbing. Now, I'll head west, and you'll head east." Link nodded at her. "Find the closest searchlight along the battlements along the path. Got it?"

"Yeah... but what's a 'battlement?'" Link asked.

Tetra slapped her face, and sighed deeply. "It's like a small tower. Now, get going! We don't have the time!" With her hands, Tetra shooed Link away and headed off into the opposite direction.

The islander looked down the corridor she had taken. _Be careful, Tetra,_ he thought before turning around, and breaking into a run towards the corridor ahead of him, passing the gray stone walls to a door that led outside. He opened it carefully, but it made a loud screeching noise that made him jump. "Shhh!" he hissed at the door, as if that would do any good, and then moved outside, not bothering to close it.

It seemed that he had been in the prison for awhile, because it was no longer late afternoon, but nightfall. Outside, he looked below through the cavities to see an inner courtyard between the circular walls of the fortress made of blue stone. There were two large gated-doors on the northeastern side of it. Then he saw two massive towers on the northern side of the fortress, one shorter than the other. As far as Link could tell, one would have to enter the smaller tower first to get in. There were large skeletons of ship hulls plowed through by a huge wooden pillar that supported the major tower. Despite the damage and disrepair of the whole place, the _Forsaken Fortress_ still looked like it could survive another siege or two.

Looking around, Link found that there was a floor above him, and he saw a large cone of light coming from the top somewhere. _That's gotta be a searchlight, but how do I get up there?_ He couldn't find a single staircase up to the next level. He discovered, after searching for some time, that there used to be a ramp that led up the battlement above him, but it seemed to have broken in half, and each side was covered in vines that had grown over the ledges and sides.

_That's it!_ Link thought suddenly. Taking the grappling hook in his hands, he twirled it and then launched the hook at the vines on the other side. Running forward, the islander jumped off the ledge and pulled himself onto the vines where he crawled up onto the broken ramp.

As quietly as he could, Link walked up the ramp and then pushed his back against the wall to avoid being seen. Just barely above and behind him, he could hear the clanks of a moving machine, and the grunts of a bokoblin. _Phew... it's not the Royal Family, _he thought. He exhaled slowly, and then began to slid across the wall silently. At the edge, he turned his head ever so slightly to see what was there on the battlement.

There, he saw a dark-skinned bokoblin, handling the large searchlight. _So, that's what a searchlight looks like._ It was a large round dome that had a bright light coming out of the flat side in a cone formation, just like Tetra had described it to him. It was being controlled by some levers and a steering wheel.

Drawing his sword, Link ducked behind the wall, and sneaked across the rest of the ramp. He got behind the dark-skinned bokoblin, who seemed to have not noticed Link. _There's something... weird about this bokoblin,_ Link thought as he examined the creature. _I... can't put my finger on it, though._ Something in the islander's instincts told him that something was unnatural about the creature.

No matter though, Link had to disable it. _So, what if stealing it was a crime?_ he thought to himself as he stepped quietly towards the bokoblin. He was trying rationalize his actions in helping the pirates. A little, taunting voice continued to tell him how evil he was for helping them steal _Ocarina of Time._ Finally, Link couldn't take it and spoke his mind out-loud. "Shut up!"

The bokoblin spun around and met Link's eyes. Immediately, the creature reached for something in his pouch, but, Link, fearing it was some sot of warning device that the bokoblin was searching for, swiftly sliced off the bokoblin's hand. It jumped back, and screeched with pain, holding its right, handless wrist, yet there was no blood.

_No blood? He's not bleeding!_ But Link didn't have the time to think anymore about the strange situation as the bokoblin drew its sword with its left hand and clumsily slashed away at the islander. Link ducked and then rolled on the ground around to the bokoblin's back and gave it a taste of his Back Slice technique that he had used before. Before the creature could do anything else, Link ran him through with his sword from behind.

The bokoblin fell down and exploded into a puff of dark-purple smoke. _What?_ _Am I __imagining things? _Link thought. As the smoke cleared, the islander heard the sound of something crystal-like tinkling on the ground. He looked where the bokoblin fell and saw a black, shining orb with smoke swirling inside of it. "What's this?" he asked himself. Link picked up the orb, it was about as big as his hand, yet it was very light, and very warm. He got the feeling he should keep it for now and show it to Tetra later, so he stuffed it into his Adventurer's pouch and took a look at the searchlight.

Looking at all the levers, the wheel, and a couple of buttons, the islander had absolutely no clue how to turn it off. Suddenly, his eye caught the seven other searchlights go out one by one. _The pirates must have gotten them. Did they fight a creature that didn't bleed either?_ Blinking, Link remembered his searchlight and looked for a way to turn it off. _Maybe one of the buttons?_ He tried pressing the button closest to the wheel.

_Click!_ The searchlight's beam of light started flashing over and over again. It began to make a loud alarm sound which startled Link. Franticly, Link pressed the other button, and pulled some levers to try to stop the noise and the light. _Tetra is so going to kill me for this!_ Finally, the light went out and the alarm stopped. The islander had no clue what he had done to stop it, but it was now silent, and without light.

"Phew..." Link wiped his forehead. He looked around, and wondered where the Tetra and the others were meeting. Down below, he counted six figures below, three tall and three small. They seemed to be gathered around something. "This could be a trap," Link told himself. "So, I'll have to sneak up on them." He was hoping that it was the pirates, and not six members of the Royal Family's military.

Taking the grappling hook out, Link clasped the hook onto the ledge of the battlement and then slowly descended down by climbing the rope. Once on the ground, the islander realized that he didn't know how to remove the grappling hook from the battlement. _Dang, and I wanted to keep this._ He tried two strong tugs, but the hook didn't budge.

Deciding that wasn't worth the work for now, Link turned around to look at the group of six. It was still dark enough that Link could not make them out very well. However, it did not seem like the six were wearing any heavy armor. Silently, he took a step forward.

"Link, we know you're there." The islander jumped and readied his sword. "Moron. It's us!" the voice of Tetra said from the middle of the group. Link relaxed a little, and sheathed his sword. "Don't think you can just sneak up on us, especially after all that racket you made with the searchlight." She did not sound happy at all. Link swallowed and slowly approached the group. When he was within about five feet of the pirates, Tetra suddenly lunged at him from the shadows and grabbed him by this tunic's collar. "You idiot! What were you thinking, kid?! It was good thing we killed the rest before that happened, but you could have revealed our location!"

"I... erk..." Link struggled to speak. "I... I'm sorry. I... I didn't know how to turn the light off!" He grabbed Tetra's hand, trying to get her to let go of his shirt, but the pirate captainess slapped it away angrily, it hurt. "Pl-please... let go... I'm sorry! Ack!" He looked at the other pirates for help, but the six of them didn't move. He could see their eyes now, and they were filled with fear. Typical, Tetra was always good at intimidating all of them.

Finally, after glaring at his face a bit, Tetra let go, and let Link drop to the ground. She breathed in and out slowly. As she walked away from Link, the pirate captainess headed towards the pirates—who all gave her room for her in the center, perhaps a little too much. She stared at Link for a long time before finally saying, "why is your grappling hook still on the battlement?"

"I..." Link started, but then stopped. He was afraid that anything he said might make her snap again. "I... tried to get it off the battlement when I climbed down, but it wouldn't budge," he explained.

Tetra looked at Zuko. "Show him how to retrieve a grappling hook, Zuko," she commanded. She was still fuming and the other pirates all looked (at least from what Link could make out from the little light they had) rather scared. It was still amazing how she kept her thumb on Gonzo, Senza, and Nudge considering their age and size.

Zuko got up and ran over to Link. "Follow me, matey," he said calmly. Link nodded and ran with Zuko to where he had left the grappling hook hanging. "'ere's how ya do it. Watch me," the pirate said. He grabbed the rope of the grappling hook and gave it three tugs. Two strong ones, and one gentle one. Shortly after, the grappling hook unclasped the ledge and came falling down into Zuko's arms. "Give it one hard tug, then a nice soft one, then another hard one and it should come down just like it did 'ere. Ya got it, aye?"

"Yeah," Link said, and Zuko handed the grappling hook, rope and all, to the islander. Link neatly coiled up the rope and the hook and then placed it in his adventurer's pouch. As he walked back with Zuko to the pirates, he thought about what Tetra had called him. _Moron. You idiot!_ He felt very hurt by those words. Even Tetra's slap on his left hand didn't hurt as much as those words.

He felt Zuko nudge him, and Link looked up to see Tetra beckoning the both of them with her hand. She seemed less angry than before, but she still had an unfriendly frown on her face. Breathing in as an attempt to relax himself, Link walked over to the circle and sat down next to Zuko. "I'm-" Link started, but Tetra waved a hand to silence him.

"Alright," she said. "Did you see a Soul-less up there, too?" she asked Link.

The islander worked his jaw. Did she mean the bokoblin? Then he remembered the orb that it had dropped. Opening his Adventurer's pouch, Link pulled out the black orb with the swirling smoke in the middle. "You mean... something like this?" The pirates' eyes widened and even Tetra looked impressed. "The bokoblin dropped it when it died, but... it... I cut off one of its hands and stabbed it through the middle and it didn't bleed... and there was no corpse either just a-"

"Puff of purplish smoke," Tetra interrupted, finishing the sentence for him. "We know, we all fought the same type of creature. I'm surprised you retrieved that though," she said. Her anger seemed to be abating now and Link began to relaxed. "These creatures have suffered the worst fate and we've actually done them a favor by killing them. They are called the 'Soul-less,'" she explained.

"Their souls have taken from them and have been stored into obsidian orbs exactly like the one you're holding." She pointed to the orb that was in Link's left hand. "The smoke inside is their very souls. If you break the orb, you'll curse them to wander as poes forever. So, I recommend keeping it and then finding a priest or a wizard to release the soul from the orb so, that they can finally rest in peace."

Link was horrified. "Who... who would do that to anyone? That's awful, even to do it to bokoblins or other monsters like that! It's just... evil." He looked at the orb, feeling bad for the soul or souls inside of it.

"I know who," Tetra said. Folding her arms. "Ganon." Link was surprised, but noticed that none of the other pirates were. "He is a powerful sorcerer as well as a swordsman, and he most likely knows the darkest of magical arts. I imagine he is one of the few that can make soul-lesses."

Of course, Tetra's explanation may be due to her bias, but considering Ganondorf's hidden and dark personality, Link thought it was logical that he was the one behind this. _Ganondorf, eh? Wait... then that means...!_ Link restrained himself from shouting and said, "They've found us! If this is Ganondorf's doing then they know already!"

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Kid, if they had known, why did they just use the searchlights instead of raiding the fortress? I told you that before. Ganon is always suspicious of me, and always wants to find a way to turn me in, get me executed, etc. So, the problem with the searchlights is a common one around here."

All the other pirates nodded in agreement. "Well, what next, Miss Tetra?" Gonzo asked.

"Pray that Link's mistake hasn't reveal us, and taking him back to Outset," she shot a glare at Link, making him bit his lower lip in guilt. "Under NO circumstances will you tell anyone about our plans or what happened!" Tetra said, a little loudly. "Just say we're a friendly group of sailors that saved your life and sponsored you into the tournament. Got it, kid?" Link nodded timidly at her. "Good! Let's get going before more come if anymore are going to come." All the pirates stood up and made a march for the ship that was in a docking place for the Fortress, which was exactly opposite of the front gates.

After putting away the soul orb, Link got up slowly and followed the pirates, keeping a little distance from them, and hanging his head. _Great. Now she hates me,_ he thought depressingly. This voyage was going to be the last time to see her, and Tetra was angry at him. Link kept thinking about the time he first met her. Her cute face, her kind smile, the way she called for him while he was still recovering.

Suddenly, he felt a hand pat his shoulder and hold it. It was Tetra. "Just for future reference about the searchlights, the closest button to you turns the thing on and off. The one closest to the searchlight, as you already know, creates an alarm. The levers change the size of the cone and the brightness of the light, and the wheel controls the aiming of the light. Got it? You may want to write that down somewhere," she added, placing a piece of torn paper from some old seachart and a pen into his hands.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Link." The islander perked up a little. She started massaging his shoulder. "Just because I yell at you, doesn't mean I hate you. Keep in mind that I'm under a lot of stress. So, don't feel bad. It was my mistake not telling you how to operate the searchlight." She smiled at him. "You're a good kid. I know you won't tell." she let go of his shoulder and gave him a pat on the back.

"I-it's okay," Link knew he was blushing; the smile was what triggered it. It was a relief to his heart that she was being kind to him again. "I won't hold it against you." He smiled at her and the two of them returned to the ship to take Link home.

-S-

After being blind-folded while taken on the ship, Link was on his way home. However, during the night, the wind stopped. Tetra said that it would be best if they rested and that, since they were far enough away, the blind-fold was no longer necessary. They spent the night on the ship and by mid-afternoon of the next day, the pirates managed pick up a breeze heading in Outset's direction. Without delay, they set sail for Outset Island to take Link home. Another voyage began for Link, the one that would send him home. Gonzo guided the ship along the winds at the helm, and Zuko kept a watch from the crow's nest as usual.

On the ship's deck, Link placed his arms and head on the rail. He looked out to sea, pondering the events that had occurred and the adventures he had. He had made it to the tournament, nearly died in a shipwreck, helped Tetra cover up the _Ocarina of Time_, and now he was going home. There was a mixture of joy and sorrow in his heart about returning to Outset Island. However, the pirate ship now felt like home to him, and then he considered Tetra herself.

Again, Link had never had a crush on a girl before. His mind ran over the various exchanges he had with Tetra. The first meeting, seeing her get angry for the first time, getting the Adventurer's pouch and feeling her hands over his body, sharing a room with her, a tent with her, pretending to be his little sister, the prison lock-up and finally another outburst followed by an apology. He knew he liked her, and at the same time, he didn't want to separated from her.

Link felt someone walk right next to him and lean on the rails. "Hey, Link, something wrong?" It was Tetra. The islander didn't look at her, not knowing what he would say to her. "You look like you have a lot on your mind, kid. I'll listen to ya."

He swallowed quietly. _What do I say to her?_ Link dared at glance at Tetra, who was leaning with her back to the rails. The light from the setting sun radiated on her brazen skin, while the captured light in her blue eyes, made them glimmer like lovely gems. Her pretty face had a rather enticing little smile on it. The islander found himself entangled with her beauty and almost forgot that he had been staring at her for a few seconds now.

"What's wrong? Something pretty catch your eye, kid?" Tetra asked gently. She turned around to face him, and literally posed for him while leaning against the rail. It made the islander wonder if she was finally flirting with him or just playing with his crush again; it was probably the latter, and not the former.

"Y-yeah. You did." Suddenly Link clasped his left hand over his mouth, trying to stop the words that had already come out. Tetra giggled softly in front of him, and then actually moved closer to him.

"I thought so," she said, smiling smugly at him. "Well." Tetra kicked the rail to awaken Link from his trance. "What's up?" she asked. "What's on your mind? Or would you prefer that I take a guess instead, hmm?"

Link's heartstrings were being pulled back and forth. He wanted to go home, but he also wanted to spend more time with Tetra. "Uh... well..." he began, not knowing what to say. "I..." Finally, he let it out. "I'm glad you're taking me home now. I do miss my family and friends, but..." he breathed in, and it took him a lot of effort to say it. "... I'm going to... to miss you, Tetra."

To Link's surprise, Tetra gazed into his eyes. She was still smiling, this time it was gentle, kind and warm. "I think I'm going to miss you, too, kid," she said. Link couldn't believe his ears. "You're annoying, slow, and ignorant, but... you're still a good kid. Or as they would say on your island, you're a good man." she winked at him. "Not to mention good-looking," she added, her smile turning into a grin.

_She has to be flirting with me now. There's no way she say that otherwise,_ Link thought. Then an idea came to his head, maybe he wouldn't have to leave Tetra at all. "Tetra," he said. "... would you... would you come and visit me every once in awhile?" he asked with all the strength he could muster, though, it was getting easier, and easier to talk to her.

"Hmmm..." Tetra rubbed her chin. After working her jaw for a moment, she winked at him. "Sure."

Link's heart leaped in his chest. He had never felt so happy before, he would see her again. _Maybe Ayrll would get to meet her, too. And my Grandmother, and-_ his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a deep voice from across the sea.

"'Hoy there, Tetra!"

Both Link and Tetra turned around to see a large ship with a flag of the Royal Family's symbol on it. It looked like a very well built ship with a strong hull and three masts. There, on the railway, Link saw many armed guards, and soldiers with the King's Adviser in their midst: Ganondorf.

Link felt an icy chill crawl through his heart. Then, of all times that this could have happened, the wind stopped and both ships could only drift in the sea adjacent to each other. _Have... we been caught?_

"'Hoy," Tetra responded calmly. "What's your business with me, Ganondorf?" she asked as if he were trespassing on her grounds. However, she didn't look directly at him, instead she turned around, and leaned against the rail again, checking her nails.

But Link was still watching, and he saw a rather sinister grin on Ganondorf's face. "My business is your arrest, for stealing the _Ocarina of Time. _You can't hide it... especially with that boy with you, who fought me in the tournament. It's rather curious that he would be with you than the merchants who sponsored him."

"Oh?" Tetra sounded surprised. "Well, the merchant family's ship broke down, and they asked us if we could take them back to their homes. The family's just sleeping in the cabins." Link looked at Tetra, she seemed completely calm despite the situation. "Besides... what proof do you have that I stole the _Ocarina of Time_? Hmm?"

"Witnesses," Ganondorf said. "Guards from within the Temple when it was raided by you and your thugs. They described the situation of two, large, strong-looking men, and a little, female-like being grabbing the Ocarina and using smoke bombs as a distraction."

_How... how did he know all that?_ Link thought with horror. Tetra, however, was still rather calm and content. The islander was having a hard time believing that she could be so calm under such dangerous circumstances.

"Smoke bombs? Huh." Tetra seemed to muse for a second and then asked, "Did you check if the smoke caused any hallucinations? I have a lot of enemies, Ganondorf, and I'm sure making the illusion of me stealing the Ocarina would be a good way to get rid of me. Or maybe you didn't think about that?"

"She's lying!" One of the soldiers yelled, pointing at Tetra rather angrily. "I'm certain it was her who took it! She just isn't wearing a mask right now. I remember the smoke and everything." Apparently, he had been a guard at the Temple.

"Calm yourself," Ganondorf commanded, waving one of his large hands at the guard. He returned his eyes to Tetra. "Yes, in fact, we did check. And I have a warrant for your arrest." At this, Tetra actually turned around to look at Ganondorf. The gerudo took a scroll from within his large robe and unrolled it to reveal a fancy-looking letters written on the paper and a seal of the Royal Family.

Link heard Tetra cuss quietly next to him. Now they were trapped. Tetra was out of lies to tell, and now she was marked for execution. Considering all that had just happened between Link and her, the last thing the islander wanted was for Tetra to die. "Board the ship, men!" The gerudo commanded.

Link watched the guards raise a large gangplank from the ship and slid it onto Tetra's. Immediately, the guards came running across it to Tetra and Link. Just at the right moment, Gonzo ran down from the helm, Zuko dropped down from the crow's nest, and then the cabin door opened with the other three pirates scrambling out. All of them drew their weapons, ready to fight.

However, they were outnumbered by the Royal Family soldiers that Ganondorf had brought with him. "Drop your weapons. Fighting is useless and will spill unwanted blood," he said.

Link grit his teeth together. _He's lying, he wouldn't care one bit, I know Gonzo and the others wouldn't-_ then, to Link's surprise, he saw Tetra take out her small dagger and drop it onto the deck. The other pirates look at her in shock, but she just shook her head. Obeying her, the pirates dropped all their weapons.

"Get them, and bind them all, except the boy," Ganondorf ordered. He was looking rather pleased with what was happening. The soldiers grabbed the pirates weapons and began to bind them.

As soon as one approached Tetra, Link jumped in front of her and drew his own sword. "No! You don't understand! It had to be taken! Ganondorf was going to use it for his own purposes and send Hyrule into darkness!" he shouted out-loud. Everyone shot surprised glances at him. He couldn't let them take Tetra, nor the pirates. He just knew what Tetra had told him about Ganon's plans to take the _Triforce_ were true.

Immediately, one of the soldiers said, "Drop your sword, boy. You're under the same conde-"

"No, he's not," Ganondorf interrupted. "He is an innocent child that wanted into the tournament. He was just misled by Tetra and these scoundrels." Link glared angrily at Ganondorf. Tetra wasn't a scoundrel, nor were any of the pirates in his eyes. "However, we must take the boy with us. ... Link, it's useless to resist. Put your sword away, I'm allowing you to keep your life."

Link gazed around himself nervously. He estimated that there were at least twenty to thirty guards and soldiers on board, and on the Royal Family's ship, there appeared at least ten to fifteen more. There was no way he could beat them all.

There were tears in his eyes. This couldn't be happening. What could he do? Slowly, against his will, Link sheathed his sword and stepped back. The guard pushed him out of the way, knocking onto the floor and grabbed Tetra. She looked at Link, and he couldn't tell if she was angry or scared. "T-tetra..." he said slowly to her.

Tetra closed her eyes and shook her head at him, and with that, she and the pirates were taken on the Royal Family's ship. The only two who remained on the pirate's ship was Ganondorf and Link. "Come, boy. Because you were such a good sport at the tournament, we'll let you meet the King and get to see the Royal Palace. The King does want to meet you."

Link's mouth quivered. "What... what are you going to do with Tetra?" he asked. He didn't care about the Palace. He wanted to know if there was any chance of at least seeing her again before they killed her.

Ganondorf sighed, looking quite annoyed. "We'll let you attend Tetra's trial then, does that sound fair?" he asked, patting Link's shoulder. The islander jerked back, he didn't like the gerudo anymore. He could see through that mask of false kindness.

Link didn't know what a trial was, but he gave in. He was too afraid to do anything, and knew of nothing that he could do to save Tetra and the Pirates. It wasn't a situation like with Ghashar; fighting against the Royal Family's Military was suicide, and wouldn't save any of his friends from the fate that awaited them.

"Yes... that's fair," Link said, looking at the deck floor. He didn't look at Tetra, how could he after being such a coward? He should have hid under the deck so that there would have been less suspicion. _But I didn't think this would happen,_ he thought to himself. The islander looked up and saw Ganondorf smile falsely.

"Come then, we're taking both of these ships to the docks, and then the rest to the Royal Palace," Ganondorf said to his men.

They saluted him, and said, "Yes, sir!" And thus, a few men took control of the pirate ship while Ganondorf forced Link onto the Royal Family's ship. He was at least glad that he could stand next to Tetra during the ride there, despite how disgraceful he felt in her presence.


	16. Chapter 15: Tetra's Trial

Chapter 15: Tetra's Trial

It was the most miserable ride through Hyrule Field that Link would ever make. So many wonderful things were offered to him because Ganondorf was blowing out propaganda that Link had helped the authorities arrest Tetra and the pirates. And every time Link tried to correct that, Ganondorf would just pass it off to the crowd that he was still a little delusional from being "brainwashed" by the pirates.

Link didn't care for all the presents people offered him: bags of rupees, golden rings, blacksmiths offering to temper his sword and shield for free, and even rare jewels. It was fortunate for him that Ganondorf didn't seem to care much that Link turned every gift down. In fact, the gerudo often said that he would "take the presents" for Link, when in reality, he would keep them himself.

This continued throughout the day and onto the next. Despite his polite rejects, Link could not convince the King—who seemed absolutely delighted to see him—to not let him stay at the Palace that night. Even so, King Daphnes had this refreshing atmosphere of comfort around him; something that Ganondorf lacked. Daphnes seemed truly concerned about his people and saw the stealing of the _Ocarina of Time_ as a dire threat to Hyrule. He was so kind, kind enough to even listen to Link's story about what Tetra knew about Ganondorf. Even though the King didn't believe it, he rejected it in a way that wasn't harsh or mocking of Link's attempts.

"I understand that you're worried," the King said while he was walking with Link through one of the Palace corridors the next day. "But Tetra is very crafty, and has a hatred for Ganondorf. So, you must be careful, as they both hold a heavy grudge toward each other, blinding their judgment. However," he paused and smiled at Link. "It is very honorable to see someone so young put their reputation, and their life on the line for one of their friends. If you feel like Tetra is still a friend to you, I won't hold it against you."

Link sighed, it was only slightly reassuring to hear this from the King. The islander was having a difficult time trying not to think about Tetra. "Your majesty?" Link looked up at the King. He remembered the first impression that he had of the King. _Like a kind and jovial old grandfather, the type that children tended to flock to. _"Do you know exactly how you lost your... daughter? I'm sorry if this is too personal," he added rather quickly.

"No, it's okay, Link." Daphnes's expression softened deeply into that of sorrow. "I don't know what happened. She just vanished one day. There are too many bands of pirates out there these days, so... she could have been easily captured and who knows what awful things may have done to her. And no," the King said. It seemed like he had been anticipating a question from Link. "I do not think Tetra took her. She wasn't a threat when my daughter vanished. Also we never found any no evidence of forced entry into her room, of a struggle, no fingerprints, no traces of magic used in that area that our wizards could find. We just don't know. If she was taken, then it was a very well planned capture."

The King sighed. "I hope I am not boring you with all this, am I?" Link shook his head, he was actually intrigued now. "Very well. Now, as I recall, one of my guards said you had a special request of me. What is it?"

Link swallowed. He wasn't sure if the King was going to allow this, but he was the only one the islander felt like he could trust. "Your majesty... where is Tetra now?" he asked, a little hesitantly.

To Link's relief, the King smiled and patting him on the shoulder. "If you were older, I would asked you to become part of Royal Family guards. Nevertheless, I'll tell you. Tetra and her pirates are being held in the prison in the basement of this castle." Daphnes knelt down to bring himself to Link's level. "I'm assuming you want to speak with her, correct?"

Link nodded. "Yes, I do."

"You will only have a limited time down there, but... here." King Daphnes pulled out a small scroll, placed some spectacles on his face, and began to write on it. After a few minutes, the King finished writing and handed Link the scroll. "Show this to the guards, and they should let you in to see Tetra. If they do not, return to me, and I will handle them for you." he removed his spectacles.

"Th-thank you, your majesty," Link bowed before him. He had done this multiple times before, and wasn't sure if he was doing it right, but the islander bowed anyway. "Where is the entrance to the prison?"

The King stood up and pointed down the hall. "Just go south until you're near the entrance of the castle. Take a right turn and go down the stairs on the raised platform." Again, he smiled. "I would send an escort with you, but... since I saw what you were able to do in the tournament, I think you'll be just fine on your own. May the goddesses bless you, Link," he said and then turned around to walk back to his throne room.

Link looked down the corridor of the Palace. The place was very nice, and would have swept him off his feet moreso than _Kakariko_ _Port_ and _Castle Town_ had done if Tetra wasn't laid so heavily on his mind. On each side laid great walls of stone white, beautifully carved in a smooth fashion. At every corner, there was pillar within the wall that would rise up from the ground with the rest of the wall. Below Link's feet were carpets made of scarlet linen, all lined with gold. Torches lined the walls to grant light to areas where there were no windows and every once in awhile—usually at a crosswalk in the corridor—Link saw a large flag draped above him from one end to the other with the symbol of the _Triforce,_ and the Royal Family's seal.

However, the castle seemed plain to him now. He had walked up and down its corridors quite a few times during the day and the previous one. _I wish someone would listen to me. I'm not lying, I just know that Tetra is right! ... but no one believes me, not even the King._ Sighing, Link began to walk down the corridor when he saw a portrait up on the wall above the corridor.

He saw a picture of pretty, young girl with a golden tiara in her bright blonde hair sitting in a chair with a few, advisor-looking people gathered around her. She wore a white dress with a purple vest over the top of it. It too, held the symbol of _Triforce_ and the Royal Family's seal. The dress covered her shoulders, and she wore long, elbow-length white gloves. Her skin was very pale, and for some odd reason, the portrait did not catch the color of her eyes. But she had a smile on her face, a smile that Link knew he had seen before.

Then, he remembered a voice that seemed to be attached to that smile. _"Thank you, Link."_ The islander shut his eyes and shook his head. For a split second, instead of seeing the girl in the chair, he saw Tetra. _That smile... that's when I told her I believed her story._ Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, Link looked at the portrait once more to see the girl instead of Tetra. _Maybe... it's just my imagination._

"Hey, son. What are you looking at?" a voice asked him from behind. It was one of the guards, dressed in full-armor and carrying a spear. However, he was a guard that the islander recognized. "Hey, you're Link, from the tournament!" the guard said very suddenly.

Link turned around to face the guard. He nodded at him and said, "And you're James, the guard who showed me around the place for the first time." The guard nodded at him. "What are you doing here?"

James chuckled. "I'm usually a guard in the castle here, Link," he explained. "I get the honor for being a guard in the Arena every year for the Swordsman Tournament." He smiled. "And I guess I got the honor of being the one who showed you around the place."

Link shook his head. "I... I'm just an islander. My real surname is Kishoke, but really... I don't deserve to give honor to anyone or gain it." He sighed regretfully. After a long pause, he said, "I was looking at the picture of the girl up there. Who is she?"

James, himself, sighed with remorse. He removed his helmet, revealing a head with with short red hair, and said, "That girl is our beloved Princess Zelda. Missing for four and half years now."

"Oh," Link said. He looked back up at the picture of Zelda. "I see. So, she's the missing princess that Tetra and the others told me about." Link dropped his eyes from the picture and casually glanced around to see a suit of armor next to the wall. "This means... King Daphnes doesn't have an heir?"

"Indeed," James replied soberly. "Our majesty's daughter was a very fair and beautiful one for her age. We just don't know what happened." Link turned around when he heard some clunking noises, and saw James put his helmet on again. "Just between you and me... I think she ran away."

"Ran away?" Link turned completely around to face James. "Why would she run away?"

"She and his majesty had some arguments, even heated ones," James explained. "Our Princess claimed that she had a dream about the future of Hyrule. She said that Ganondorf was going to be our fall. None of us really believed it. Especially not the King. I know you probably find this hard to believe, but the King grew extremely angry and yelled at her one night. I saw our Princess break into tears and run into her room. And that was the last night we ever saw her."

"I see," Link said, looking at the ground. _She ran away because her father wouldn't listen to her? But what good would that do?_ The islander frowned. "So there is no 'heir to the throne?' I think that means... someone to take the King's place, right?"

"Yes, it does," James responded. Through the helmet, Link could see him frowning sadly. "Without the Princess, there is no heir to the throne. And this means that either one of the Royal Advisors or a person selected by the voice of the people will ascend to the throne." James looked up at the picture of Princess Zelda. "While I think he is a good person, I hope it is not Ganondorf who ascends the throne. He already has his own in the Gerudo Desert. As for me, I'm praying that our princess will return one day." He looked at Link and asked, "So... where were you off to?"

Link felt a little edgy about the situation. "I'm going to the prisons to see Tetra. I wanted to talk to her." Before James could say something, Link added, "And the King gave me permission." He showed James the scroll that the King had given him.

"I see..." James said slowly. "You still think she did the right thing? While I can't agree with you, if the King has given you permission, then I will not stop you." He gave a small bow to Link. "May you have a good day, sir Link." And with that, he walked back down the corridor and turned at a corner, out of Link's sight.

_Oh boy,_ Link thought. _Is there anyway I can save her?_ He looked at the scroll and then began to walk down the corridor, while trying to remember the King's directions to the prison. _Turn right near the entrance... turn right near the entrance..._ Link kept reminding himself as he passed down the corridors. Various guards in different levels of armor walked passed by him, not bothering to take notice of the young swordsman. It seemed they were all devoted to their duty as guards. It was admirable to say the least.

Finally, after passing through the large corridor, Link came into the large, open entrance of Hyrule Castle. Stepping down the staircase and passing a couple of guards on either side, Link looked to the right. There he saw a raised platform that connected to the wall with stairs leading up to the top and a staircase going down with an opening in the shape of a simple doorway. _I guess that's it._

Reaching the staircase, Link took the passageway down into the basement of the castle. As he went down, the lights grew dimmer and dimmer. The place was dank, and only lit by rare torches along the walls. _Wow, you'd never know this was the same place as above. It's really like a dungeon down here._ Link was suddenly jolted by a loud voice in front of him.

"HALT!" Link looked up to see two burly guards blocking the passage into the prison. "What business do you have here?" The guard snarled. Like the castle basement, these men were also mal-mannered and rather ugly looking. Their armor seemed rusted and their banners were tattered, in ill-repair. "Make yourself quick or I'll throw you out of this place! You have thirty seconds, whelp!"

"Gah! W-wait!" Link stammered. "I have permission from the King of Hyrule to pass through here!" He exclaimed, looking from guard to guard. Neither of them looked fazed at all.

"The King!? For a whelp like you!?" The guard let out a deep, unhealthy-sounding laugh. "Go spew your lies elsewhere! I have more important things to do than listen to a child's fancies!" He stopped laughing when Link shoved the scroll into his hands. "What's this?"

"It's a scroll written by the King himself," Link said. His fear of these guards was abating, especially when he remembered what Daphnes said. "Read it," he said. Link had actually forgotten to look at the scroll himself, so he was curious of what Daphnes wrote on it.

"Don't tell me what to do," the guard growled, a little less fierce than before. He opened the scroll and, despite what he said, he read it out-loud:

"From his most humble, and gracious majesty, Daphnes Nohansen, King of Hyrule. I hereby grant this honorable young man, Link Kishoke, passage into the prisons that he may speak with the infamous pirate, Tetra. Who is currently condemned to death for stealing the _Ocarina of Time_. However, to the young boy's request, I grant him permission to speak with her for his sake. Let him have as much time as possible as it may be one of the last times that he will see her. _Signed, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule._"

Both guards looked rather sour. "Is that really the King's signature?" the other guard asked suspiciously. The two of them acted and sounded like they didn't want Link to pass. The one holding the scroll sneered at him. "... so, you're Link? Hmph." They kept examining the scroll over and over again, as if looking for some flaw or evidence of forgery. Link did his best to remember one of the things Ocra and Sturgeon had both agreed on: patience. It was a virtue, and Link wasn't going to lower himself to these guards' level. "Hmph! Fine!" the guard finally said, rolling up the scroll, and shoving it Link's hands roughly. You've got three minutes, ya little whelp!"

As soon as the guards began to step aside, Link dashed passed them into the prison and glanced around quickly for a head of yellow-blond hair. Finally, he saw one—it was definitely Tetra—in the center cell on the right wall. When Link got to the bars, he saw Tetra with her hands chained together, and with her head hanging down. He knocked on the bars, half-hoping for them to break. Tetra looked up at Link and smiled.

"Tetra!"

"Link!" She exclaimed. Tetra ran up to the door to meet him, and to Link's relief, she didn't look angry at all. In fact, she looked very glad to see him. "How did you get in here?"she asked. Lowering her voice to a whisper she added, "those guards are as foul as this prison. How did you get by them?"

The islander grinned, and unrolled the scroll for Tetra to read. "The King gave me permission to see you," he explained. "He's actually really nice... very different from Ganondorf. If only he'd believe your story." Link sighed.

"I'm not surprised," Tetra said. "I'm an infamous pirate captainess, Link. I only have seven other people that believe me: you and the boys." She tried to gesture with her hands, but every time she moved one, the other was pulled with it due to how closely they were chained.

"So, how have you been doing? Wait!" He slapped his forehead. "That was a dumb question."

Tetra smiled warmly. "No, it's not." Despite a day of being in the prison, Tetra still looked quite pretty, just like when she and Link were talking on the ship's rail the previous day. "... though, I'm not doing great." she sighed. "I'm glad they didn't take you in, kid. You're just an innocent islander, after all."

"You're... not angry at me, are you?" Link asked hesitatingly, thinking about how he had just given in the previous day. "I felt like a filthy snake standing next to you in the boat yesterday."

Tetra chuckled. "Don't be silly!" She smirked at him. "There was no way you could have defeated Ganondorf and all his men. Then you'd be under the same condemnation as I am," she said. She adjusted her eyes to him. "Though, it was rather brave of you to try to protect me like that..."

Link was certain he was blushing now, but he didn't care this time. "I... uh... you're welcome, I guess." He wasn't sure what to say to her now that he could talk to her. Link had little time, so he needed to pick his words carefully. "I saw a picture of Princess Zelda as I was coming down to meet you. I ran into James, that one soldier from the Arena, remember?" Tetra shrugged at him. "Well, whatever, he told me about the picture and about the princess. I wonder what happened to her. People just don't... vanish do they? Did you ever find out...?"

"No," Tetra answered. "Otherwise, I would have sent a message to the King if we had found the princess. She was probably taken, captured, and then killed." The pirate captainess leaned against the wall of her cell with her arms folded. "I doubt she's alive," she added.

"I see..." Link felt downcast. So, there seemed to be no hope of finding the Princess of Hyrule. Did that mean there was no hope for Tetra's life either? Link swallowed and tried not to think about it. "Tetra... Ganondorf said something about a trial. What's a trial?" he asked. "Or was he lying to me again?"

"This time, he was telling the truth," Tetra said with a half-smile, half-frown on her face. "A trial is where there is a prosecutor, a defendant, and a judge," she explained. "I, and the boys, are the defendants in this case. Ganondorf is the prosecutor, and the King is the judge." Link felt a bound of hope leap up in his heart. The King was much kinder and more reasonable than Ganondorf. Maybe there would be a way to clear Tetra's sentence.

"There are witness who will testify of things they have seen at the time of the crime," she continued. "Evidence about the crime will be presented, and after a few days, the judge will decide and then make the judgment." Tetra's face was dark, and hopeless looking. There was a long, uncomfortable pause. "Then they'll behead me and it'll be over," she finally said.

"Behead you!?" Link exclaimed. "Wait... wait..." He started to feel anxious for Tetra's life. "Does that mean that... they will...?"

Tetra nodded and then swiped her finger across her neck. "Yes. They will sever my head from my body using a guillotine. That's a contraption that holds the person's neck in place where the blade comes down to slice it," she explained.

The description horrified Link. "N-no way."

"It doesn't matter," Tetra said calmly. "As long as Ganondorf can't find the _Ocarina of Time_, then Hyrule will be safe. My life is worthless now."

"No," Link said, looking at the ground.

"What?" Tetra asked, looking over at him. Link wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at her, revealing bloodshot eyes from the tears.

"No... I'm going to save you, Tetra," he said firmly.

"Link," Tetra smiled sadly. "There's no way you can do it, kid. You can't—"

Suddenly Link interrupted her, speaking loudly, yet with an unwavering voice. "No! I'm going to find a way to save your life without breaking the law! I swear I will!" He was now being decidedly stubborn about his position. Link was not going to let Tetra die.

He looked at Tetra, and he saw that she looked very shocked. Her hand on was her chest like she was protecting her heart. "Link..." The islander didn't know what she was thinking at that time, but maybe she was touched by his unmoving resolve.

He was about to saw something else when Link felt a strong hand grab him from behind. "You've had yer three minutes, whelp!" Link struggled against the guard's massive strength. He was being pulled away from the bars.

"W-wait! At least let me say good-bye to her!" Link said, still struggling. The guard didn't seem to listen and his strength was overwhelming Link's own. The islander looked at Tetra, who was right at the edge of the bars, holding them and watching Link get dragged away. "I'll come to your trial, Tetra! I promise!" he waved to her, and on her face, Link saw a sad smile appear as she waved back.

Suddenly, Link felt himself slammed against hard stone, it was quite painful, and his vision was blurry. "Get out of here, ya whelp! You had more than enough time to talk to yer 'friend.'" The guard snorted at the islander, who tried to feebly tried to climb to his feet. He shot an angry glare at the guards before ascending the stairs to the base floor of the castle.

The side of his head hurt badly, and put his hand on it tenderly. Then he felt something wet that surprised him. Link pulled his hand back to reveal blood dripping all over his hand. _Those filthy guards!_ He starting running to make his way to the palace to see the King. It didn't take him long to reach it, though many guards tried to stop him with shocked looks on their faces. James was especially worried. "Link! Your head is bleeding, where are you going??"

Finally, he ran into the King, who was pacing in front of the picture of Princess Zelda. Daphnes looked at Link slowly, and then did a double-take. "My goodness! Your head's bleeding! What happened, dear boy?" he asked with such care, that one would easily be deceived into thinking Link was the King's son.

"One of those big brute guards," he began. Link winced and grabbed the throbbing side of his head. "threw me into the stairs after my time of talking with Tetra was up. They barely let me say good-bye to her, too." He looked at the King. "Even with your permission, your majesty, they insulted me and treated me like... a piece of trash."

The King sighed irritatedly. "I know. I need the toughest ones to guard the cells so the prisoners won't escape. However, I _will_ have a talk with them about their behavior. Here," he helped Link stabilize his footing and then call out for some of his guards. James and three other Royal Family guards appeared within seconds. "Please take our guest to one of our priests so that his head-wound can be healed before it becomes serious."

"Yes, your majesty!" They saluted him, and then helped guide Link to the priests' chambers. On the way, James asked Link what happened. When he found out, he almost cursed. "Those stupid blockheads. I swear, they get someone innocent nearly killed every year or so. Don't worry, his majesty will give them quite a tongue lashing for their behavior."

"James?" Link asked, he was beginning to loose his vision and was getting dizzy. "When does Tetra's trial start?"

"It'll start tomorrow," James said to Link. "I'll be escorting his majesty to the court room. Since the guest room is nearby, would you like to be escorted as well?"

Link smiled. "Yes, please."

-S-

It was very cloudy the next day; the priests had managed to heal Link's wound, and the servants had been quick to clean his cap. In fact, they cleaned all his garments, so he looked rather neat for an islander in the Royal Palace. Link walked alongside King Daphnes with James and other guards escorting them to the court room. It was in the southwestern area of the castle, not all the way to the corner, but, from Link could guess, they were mostly in that area.

They finally arrived at the court room; a place with many long benches facing an open area that was fenced off by some wooden rails. At the front, was the judge's seat, raised high above the ground, next to it was another seat, but Link didn't know what it was for. He saw two desks parallel to each other on either side of the room facing the judge's seat, it was there that Link saw Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, and the other pirates sitting at the desk to Link's left with their hands chained, much like Tetra was when he saw her in the prison.

In the other desk, sat Ganondorf, looking rather smug and content at the moment. Anger quietly boiled inside Link's body as he watched the gerudo. Link knew that the gerudo was only cheerful because he was eliminating one of his enemies, not saving Hyrule from some disaster. The more the islander looked at him, the more he believed Tetra's words about Ganondorf.

When the escort reached the gate that separated the open area from the benches, the King's escort stopped and let Link out to take a seat next on the benches. The guards dispersed and Daphnes passed through the gate, walking towards the judge's seat.

Link was lucky enough to find a spot on the front bench closest to the pirates. He tried to get their attention by tapping them on the shoulders, but it seemed like they didn't notice him. Then he heard a voice, "Link, stop that!" The islander looked to his left to see James stationed next to the benches. Apparently, there was a guard stationed for every two benches down the row.

"Good day, your majesty," Ganondorf said almost too pleasantly for Link to bear. "This trial shall be a short one since we have all the evidence, correct?" The islander looked shocked when he heard this. Tetra had said the trial would at least take a few days, but here the Gerudo King was apparently talking about mere hours.

However, the King frowned at Ganondorf as he sat down on the judge's seat. "The speed of this trial is dependent on the testimonies of the witnesses, and the presentation of evidence, Ganondorf," the King said. "I know that you very well understand this. Keep your biases out of this trial."

"Of course, your majesty," Ganondorf said, not quite as happily as before. Link cheered for the King quietly; the islander was glad that he was being fair even in a trial that did not favor the pirates very well.

Suddenly, a door on the left side of the wall (that Link hadn't noticed before) opened and out came four, heavily-armed guards escorting the major defendant of the trial: Tetra. Link was happy to see her, but at the same time felt worried because now it was about begin, and the remaining time in Tetra's life was ticking slowly towards the end of its route. _I wish I could do something, _Link thought. He noticed a man with the guards, not in armor, but in well-made garments that represented his class, he took a seat next to the desk that the pirates were sitting at.

"Place the defendant at the seat," the King commanded. One of the guards roughly shoved Tetra into a seat next to pirates, and right in front of Link. The islander looked at James, and saw that the guard was actually not paying attention at all. Taking a chance, Link tapped Tetra on the shoulder.

Unlike her men, the pirate captainess turned around sharply. A smile appeared on her face when she saw Link behind her. "Nice to see ya, kid," she whispered. Suddenly, there was a loud noise of someone clearing their throat. Both Tetra and Link looked to the left and saw James glaring on them. Sighing, Link pulled his head back sadly and managed to catch a wink from Tetra as she looked away.

Link, again, hadn't been paying attention to see hoards of people from the mainland come into the court room and sit in the benches. They were all whispering, and many eyes were looking from Tetra to Ganondorf to the King. Suddenly rapping a gavel on a small circle of polished wood, the King said loudly, "Order!" The people became silent and the remaining ones quickly took their seat. "This court is now in session. Proceed, Ganondorf."

The gerudo stood up from the desk, looking rather proud. "Ladies and Gentlemen of this good court, I welcome you here to this trial where we will find the truth about the infamous Miss Tetra and the _Ocarina of Time_. While many of you might know Tetra and I have personal disputes, I can assure you that all biases will be ignored during this session, and other sessions, if they occur." Link caught him shoot a smug glance at Tetra before continuing. "The evidence against the defendant is very strong, but under our laws, the King has seen it fit to grant some mercy over these... people, and allow them a trial." He breathed in and then continued on. "What will follow will be the testimonies of those who were there at the scene of the crime, the evidence found, and even testimonies from the very pirates themselves." He finished talking, seeming very pleased with his speech and sat down.

Then, the man next to the pirates stood up and began to speak too. "Dear ladies and gentleman of this court room, I also extend my welcomes to you. I have been assigned to be the defense for Tetra and her pirates." Link could tell, though, that this man was not seriously interested in getting Tetra out of the pit she was in. "This supposed accusation is a flaw. While, indeed, the _Ocarina of Time_ was stolen, there is not enough evidence to support that it was these specific band of pirates who stole it. And thus, I am ready to begin." After finishing, he quickly sat down next to the pirates.

Link vented his heated anger quietly. _Ganondorf, you lying evil crook! I doubt you'll let go of your bias for the court!_ The islander looked at the man who was sitting next to the pirates, and wondered who he was. Deciding it was safer to ask him, Link scooted over the seats to James and asked him quietly. "I'm sorry, I don't want to cause trouble, but who is that man who spoke for Tetra and the others?"

James nodded at Link. "That man is a lawyer for the defense," he explained. "Obviously, the pirates do not have their own attorney, so, the King had one hired for them. It's customary to do so when the defendant has no money or way of getting an attorney. This was at especially short notice, so... Anyway, the man's name is Shiro."

Link frowned. "Well, I could tell from his speech, but he doesn't seem very motivated to defend Tetra and the others."

"Would you be, Link?" James asked. "I don't think anyone would, considering what the pirates are accused of. It might lead to an utter ruin of one's reputation!" Link just stared in disbelief at him, like he had said the most ridiculous thing that the islander had ever heard. "Link? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied and then turned away to look at Tetra. He might as well be chained up with the other pirates. There seemed to be no way out. Even with a lawyer on their side, all it would take would be a few guards' testimonies to have Tetra's head severed from her body. Link could not stand being so helpless as to not even speak as a witness for the pirates. And the image of Tetra being beheaded, well, Link didn't want to think about it; it was too gruesome for him.

"Ah! We should be quiet, we almost missed the first witness!" James whispered to Link. The islander looked over to the judge's seat and saw a guard, the same one he saw on the ship, sitting the seat below the King.

_So, that's what it's for, that's the witness's chair._ Link watched and listened carefully as Ganondorf continued to question his own witness.

"What happened after the smoke bomb went off in the Temple?" the gerudo asked. He was pacing the floor of the upper court in front of the witness.

The guard glared at Tetra and said. "Well, I felt something hard hit my head and was nearly knocked out. I remember the smoke, but I knew I saw a small figure grab the Ocarina and run out of the Temple! And it was her!" he pointed at Tetra. Link wanted to hit that man over the head, he was half-lying to get Tetra convicted. He had only said that he saw a small figure in the Temple when Ganondorf had boarded the pirates' ship.

"I see," Ganondorf replied, scratching his short, dark-orange beard. "I believe that has been enough for his majesty to hear." And with that, the gerudo took his seat, on the right end of the room. Link didn't understand what Ganondorf meant, but it seemed like he was done questioning the witness. What happened next?

Then Shiro stood up and approached the witness. He was wearing dark-green clothing with a short brown cloak around his neck. Not understanding why Shiro had stood up, Link couldn't help himself. "What?" and then he quickly covered his mouth, looking embarrassed. Just about everyone who was at least a seat away from him looked at him (even the pirates, who, finally noticing him, gave Link a friendly wave and a smile).

"Shhh!" James put his finger in front of his mouth. "He's cross-examinating the witness," James explained. He seemed to know that Link had never seen a trial before, so he had to explain how the process worked.

"Do you remember the time when the attack occurred, good sir?" Shiro asked the guard.

The guard gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about? Of course not! We can't tell time in there!"

"I find that odd since you were protecting the _Ocarina of Time_ within the _Temple of Time,_" Shiro responded. "I do believe a working clock is kept in there."

"So what!?" the guard exclaimed defensively. "What does this have to do with getting her head cut off?" Link almost stood up at this comment, but apparently, he wasn't the only one bothered by the statement. Whispers began to circulate audience and pass around from person to person, save reaching the islander's own ears.

"_Order!_" Daphnes roared as he nailed the gavel on his pulpit, and the room went silent. The King looked over at the witness and said, "we're not here to try to get peoples' heads cut off! We are here to find out what happened and hopefully where the _Ocarina of Time_ currently lays. If it can be proven that Tetra stole it then she will suffer the death sentence. Now, let us proceed without interruption. Continue, Shiro."

Even though Link knew that even the King believed Tetra did it, the islander's respect for Daphnes sky-rocketed. Truly, unlike Ganondorf, he was not letting his bias get in the way of his judgment. Also, Link hoped that there was a chance for delaying Tetra's execution after the trial. _She's the only one who knows where the Ocarina is,_ Link thought to himself. _Not even Gonzo knows where she hid it._ They would need to keep her alive in order to find it.

"The time recorded of the attack," Shiro continued speaking. "was thirty minutes to one. Now, do you remember when you were attacked by a group of thugs, a smoke bomb, and the Ocarina taken?" Now Link saw what Shiro was trying to do. If the time that was recorded didn't match with the time testified, then the guard's testimony was worthless.

"I wasn't paying attention," the guard responded. "I had more important things to do than look at the time, like keep that thing protected during the tournament."

"Very well," Shiro responded. "It has been known that some types of smoke bombs can cause hallucinations, and even create illusions through magical enchantments of what is occurring at the time. Are you absolutely certain that you were not being deceived?"

"Maybe..." the guard considered. "I'm certain I was not hallucinating at the time, but as for magical illusions... I can't be certain. What do illusions have to do with this?" he asked, this time very politely and very cautiously.

"Because Miss Tetra has many more enemies than the Royal Family. An easy way to remove her would be to trick you into thinking it was her," Shiro answered. The guard looked dumb-founded.

"Well... I..." the guard seemed out of words to say. "I'm pretty sure we would have checked for traces of anything magical going on and someone would have... said... something about it."

"I have no more questions, your majesty," Shiro simply said. He bowed honorably and sat down next to the pirates. The witness was about to stand up from the chair when the King waved at him to sit back down.

"Ganondorf, do you have any other questions?" King Daphnes asked.

Despite the apparent set-back of his witness, Ganondorf still looked very confident. "No, but I do have a small statement of evidence to be made," he said. During which, the King then allowed Ganondorf's witness to sit down at the prosecutor's desk with the other witnesses. Link didn't notice it before, but he also saw an elderly lady, another guard, and a man sitting there.

_Those people must be Ganondorf's witnesses,_ Link thought. _That means then that Tetra and the pirates are technically the witnesses for the defense._

"Very well," said the King to the gerudo. "Please present your information for the court."

Ganondorf bowed and began to speak, "Ladies and gentleman, I would like to point out something that occurred while looking for any traces left behind by the thieves inside the _Temple of Time_. We found no evidence of magic being used at all in the area. Therefore, the idea that the smoke bombs caused a magical illusion is a false one." He sat back down.

From where Link was sitting, Shiro let out an indifferent sigh, and shrugged. He had been right, the defendant's attorney had little motivation to help Tetra and the pirates. Link, himself, was frustrated, the magical illusions was the pirates' best defense and now it was shot out of the air and made useless.

"Now then," the King said. "Do you have any other witnesses to testify before the court?"

The gerudo stood up again. Link could just imagine the thoughts going through his head. _I bet he's hoping this next witness will end the trial._

"I do, your highness," Ganondorf said. I wish to honor your presence with Miss Maza Celais, a witness near the Arena during the time after the attacks."

The King nodded. "You may approach, and sit in the witness's seat," Daphnes said. Ganondorf politely moved out of Miss Celais's way. She was the elderly lady Link saw earlier. She was wearing a semi-formal dress in dull red, and spectacles in front of her eyes. She looked like she was still in good shape, because she did not walk with a cane. Instead, she walked, with her back straight, to the witness's seat, and sat down.

Ganondorf placed a book with the symbol of Triforce on the desk of the witness's chair. The elderly woman placed her hand placed her hand on it. "Do you solemnly swear," Ganondorf began. "to tell the truth and nothing but the truth under the divine watch of our goddesses?"

"I do swear," she said, sounding very haughty as if she were one of the goddesses.

"What evidence do you have to provide us with, Miss Celais?" Ganondorf asked. "Anything suspicious you may have heard or seen before and after the attack?" The gerudo was pacing again, turning his head every now and again to look at the old lady.

"Well," she began. "I was sitting in the Arena atrium near the highest floor. There, I saw that boy," she pointed at Link. "And four of those vile pirates, three small ones, and the big one with the black hair, sitting behind me, all in disguises, except for the boy. I felt there was something amiss, so I listened to their conversation. They were talking about their planned theft and were checking up with a magical device of some sort on their leader, who was apparently somewhere near the Temple."

Link's anger was boiling to the surface, she had lied and broken her oath. Never did the islander visit Senza, Zuko, Mako, and Niko in the stands during the tournament. Instead, he had been practicing in his room for the next bout.

"Oh?" Ganondorf said, sounding intrigued. "Did you catch any names being passed between them?"

"I'm afraid not," she said simply. Celais adjusted her spectacles. "I wasn't able to hear over the crowds... well, except one name," she added slowly. "I believe I heard the name 'Tetra' being spoken at the time."

"Interesting," Ganondorf said. "Do you think the boy was involved with their plot to steal the _Ocarina of Time?_" Now, Link was wondering why Ganondorf was trying to bring him into the whole mess.

Celais chuckled. "Yes and no," she said. She looked very pleased with herself, as if she had said something with deep internal meaning. "I think he was helping them, but also, very clever of him, was playing along with the pirates just to get himself into the tournament. After that, he had helped the authorities turn this vile Tetra and his pirates in."

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Link suddenly stood up and yelled, completely silencing the court. Before the King, or anyone could say anything, the islander spoke his mind. "These are lies! I _was not_ near them on the stands. I was in my practice room, getting ready for my next bout! And also, stop with this stupid 'hero' business! I _never helped_ anyone turn Tetra and the pirates in. Not at all. Ganondorf just said to bind them and leave me alone. And I... just stood there," he added, sounding rather shamefully. Everyone looked at him, rather shocked, even Tetra looked surprised at his outburst.

Immediately after he had spoken, the court went wild and start speaking loudly to each other. James looked like he was going to make a move for Link, but seemed hesitant. King Daphnes railed the wooden gavel on his desk. "Order! Order ORDER!" he bellowed. The crowd began to be quiet, but Link didn't sit down. "Link, even if these are lies," Daphnes said, very calmly. "You do not have the right to speak unless you're a witness. If you wish to be one then enter the court. However..!" the King added. "I think it's time we took a break from this session, considering all the outbursts we've been having, granting our people some time to settle down. This court is adjourned for two hours."

Ganondorf shot Link a dark glance before leaving to guide his witnesses out. On the other side, Tetra and the pirates were taken out, escorted by a large number of guards with Shiro in tow. The audience began to file themselves out of the courtroom, leaving Link and the approaching King Daphnes alone.

"Link." Daphnes sighed as he tugged the islander aside and walked with him to the exit. "You should not have shouted like that. If you had a dispute, you could have asked to be a witness for the pirates. Was that Celais really lying about you?"

"Yes," Link said. He was feeling rather hurt by her words. "I wasn't there, and I wasn't trying to play along." He was very angry, the idea of playing along just to get Tetra captured? That pretty, attractive girl that he liked?

"All right," the King said, putting his hand on Link's shoulder. "We'll try to fix up this mess, but I recommend that you do not return to the court room. It will only become more and more painful for you to experience, as it seems to me." Despite his kind demeanor, the King's voice was very stern and almost chastising towards Link.

"... what if I can be a witness for Tetra?" Link asked. He looked at Daphnes with eyes stinging with small tears. "Can I come back?" Daphnes stopped and then knelt down next to Link.

"Yes, but," he said with a regretful sigh. "Link... forget about saving Tetra's life. It'd be better that you stay here for awhile, and after this trial is over, that you return to your home. Please... as I said before, it is honorable to see one put everything on the line for their friend's life, but I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done. Other witness's and perhaps even the pirates's testimonies themselves, along with the evidence will most likely convict Tetra." He patted Link on the back and stood up. "Go and get some rest." With that, the King turned around and left the courtroom.

Now, Link was the only one in the court room. Trying to grasp as much hope as he could, he islander tried to console himself, but it was to no avail. No matter how much he thought of it, the pirates were in a corner with no way out. It seemed completely hopeless to save her. Voices kept echoing his head over and over again.

_"I see... You still think she did the right thing?" _

_"I don't think anyone would, considering what the pirates are accused of. It might lead to an utter ruin of one's reputation!"_

_"There's no way you can do it, kid."_

_"I understand that you're worried, but Tetra is very crafty, and has a hatred for Ganondorf. So, you must be careful, as they both hold a heavy grudge at each other, blinding their judgment."_

These voices kept echoing one thing: _You can't save her. You can't save her. You can't save her._ Link's eyes were broken with tears, just thinking about how helpless he was against the tides of evidence before him. No one believed the story that Tetra had told him, and he didn't know how to make them understand.

Shaking his head and trying to get the voices out, not caring that he was beginning to cry, Link opened the doors and started running through the Palace. Some of the guards moved to grab him, but they were out of his reach. Link didn't care, he just wanted to leave, to get outside, to get away from from the voices in his head. Fortunately, the front gate was open and Link dashed out onto the drawbridge and then across it onto the grassy fields.

The clouds had given in, and it was now raining. Link stopped at the top of a ledge near a cave below and knelt to his feet, weeping. It was hopeless, once they found the Ocarina and Tetra was killed, all of Hyrule would fall into darkness under Ganondorf's reign and they would all realize too late that Tetra had been right. In addition, Link liked her, and didn't want to her to die. He wished he could have more time to spend with her, to get to know her even better, to share adventures with her, to introduce his family to her.

His family. Link thought about his family, his little sister, and his grandmother. Then the dreadful thought of what might happen to them when Ganondorf took Hyrule for himself froze his heart. He couldn't bear to think of what he would do to his little sister, and the others on Outset. He thought about his teachers, Ocra, and Sturgeon, and how much they had taught them about the world.

_Wait! Sturgeon!_ Link suddenly remembered something that he had been taught by the small elderly, and wise man. It was during a study of the scriptures about the three goddesses of Hyrule: Din, Nayru, and Farore.

_"The goddesses are very kind to our people. Even though they have left only the Triforce behind as their legacy, if you pray to them, they will hear your voice, Link."_

That's what Sturgeon had taught him. _It's my only hope now. If anyone is going to listen to me, it's going to be them!_ Link bowed down his head, and clasped his hands together. No one was around, so he decided to pray vocally to the goddesses.

"Oh, great goddesses and creators of Hyrule," he began. "There is a great threat in thy world, a threat that will bring darkness to Hyrule. I have a friend named Tetra, she stole the _Ocarina of Time, _so that Ganondorf, the threat to thy lands, could not take the _Triforce_ for himself and plunge Hyrule into darkness and despair. Tetra has been captured is in danger of being beheaded for stealing the sacred instrument, and if they can pull out the information from her of where it lays, then all is lost. Also... please, I beg of thee humbly, I will do anything thou wilt ask me to do to save Tetra's life. Please hear my plea. Amen."

Then Link waited, having faith that would answer him. Suddenly, the ledge he was on, gave in and collapsed. The islander cried out and tried to get off of the ledge, but it was no use and he fell onto the hard ground below. Landing on his side, Link got up slowly and rubbed his waist. "Oww..." he moaned. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have broken anything since it wasn't much of deep drop. Sliding to the ground, Link started to weep again, it seemed like the goddesses were mocking him.

Suddenly, he heard someone walking outside. "Why are you crying, child?" a deep, yet gentle voice asked. Link looked up and saw a great, aged, moblin (larger, pig-like creatures than bokoblins) in a large brown robe with a hood covering the upper half of his face. In his right hand, he carried a roughly-carved wooden staff that made a crescent curve on the top with the tip facing down towards the ground.

Link jumped to his feet, but then winced from the sudden pain in his legs and fell back onto the ground. He reached for his sword when the moblin spoke. "Don't! I mean no you no harm. Not all of us are vicious monsters," the moblin said. "Please... believe me. I'm aged and would be helpless against a warrior like you."

The islander blinked twice, and relaxed his sword in hand, dropping his arm. "Who are you?"

"My name is Rashu," he said. "I am an old friend to the Royal Family." He looked up towards the sky and examined the clouds. "This storm is unnatural, as if it is crying out that some sort of disaster will take place soon. While I was inside my cave, I felt a powerful impression to go outside. You are in despair of something, am I not right?"

"Yes..." Link stared at him. "How... how did you know that? Are you a wizard or something?"

"I think we ought to get inside before the rain gets worse," Rashu said, looking at the cave entrance that was in this pit. "Please, trust me, I will help you with your plight, and explain in greater detail once we're out of the storm." he beckoned with his hand for Link to come inside. Link began to stand up, ignoring the pain in his legs and started walking towards the moblin. Rashu extended a hand and the islander took a risk and took the aged moblin's hand. "Follow me." With that, he led Link towards the cave and they passed through the opening together.


	17. Chapter 16: Link's Trial

Chapter 16: Link's Trial

Rashu was true to his words; he did not harm Link at all. Instead, he helped dry Link's clothes and tended to his wounds. There, Link discovered that Rashu was a wizard of somesort, who used magical means to mend his minor wounds caused by the fall. During the mending, Link met his brother, who was a blacksmith, and a leather worker. The cave was their home and was rather neat and tidy for a hole in the wall.

Near the entrance of the cave was Khaga's (the name of Rashu's brother) workshop. It was a fairly large room with thick stone walls. There was a huge furnace on one side of the wall and in the middle of the room was the anvil. There were countless tools lined up against the wall hanging from hooks. They ranged from hammers to chisels to and metal prongs. There were even a few leather bags, and an arrow quiver or two hanging on the wall closest to the entrance of the workshop.

There were other rooms beyond the workshop; one went left of the entrance which was where the brothers slept. It was a room with twin beds, one on either side of it, the beds were simple, straw-based mattresses and some white sheets and dark blankets. And to the right was a small kitchen and dining room of simple make. Beyond that, there was a corridor which went to a shrine where Rashu apparently meditated and prayed. Khaga was a burly moblin, very strong-looking unlike his brother, but he was just as, if not more, friendly as Rashu.

Link came out of their sleeping quarters in his blue shirt and orange pants, holding the soaked Hero's Clothes in his arms. "Are you sure these will dry quickly?" he asked. For some odd reason, without the green tunic and cap, he felt defenseless, as if he would not be able handle combat without them.

"Sure as a whistle, mi'boy!" Khaga said heartily to Link. They took the clothes and hung them near the in the dining area. The moblin, in the meantime, was examining Link's sword. "This is pretty-well made, I'll say," he remarked.

"Thank you," Link said. "It was my master's gift to me on my birthday." _When all this began,_ he thought. Suddenly, Link was distracted by a tapping of wood against stone across the room. Rashu was standing in the short hallway with a bowl and spoon in it. Link was certain Rashu was going to offer it to him for food, it made him wonder, if these moblins didn't eat hylians, then what did they eat?

"Come, eat," Rashu beckoned. "I promise it is nothing vile or distasteful, child."

Sighing, Link walked timidly across the stone floor over to Rashu. Even though, he and his brother were moblins, he kept getting a constant feeling of peace in his heart that they wouldn't harm him. "Alright. I guess you want me to keep my strength up... right?" the islander asked.

"Indeed," Rashu said, handing him the bowl. He then sat down slowly onto one of the chairs in the room. "But please stay here. I have been very rude as to not even ask your name. ... Also, please tell me what troubles you," he added.

The islander felt like he had no choice. Khaga had placed Orca's Sword into its sheath and away from the furnace with Link's Shield. _I wonder how these people are going to help me?_ Link looked into the bowl, all it looked like was a warm bowl of stew, with the same vegetables, and other foods that hylians would usually have (except the meat was chicken). Link was rather surprised, despite the racial differences, it seemed like moblins and hylians had much more in common than he originally thought.

Taking a spoonful of the stew, Link swallowed and tasted the meal. It was pretty good actually. It definitely topped the red potion and was somewhere in the middle of regular food he had eaten at Taverns, the Royal Palace, and his Grandmother's cooking. "Wow. This isn't bad. It's just like something a hylian would eat," Link said, thinking out-loud.

"Wait until ya try the chicken, mi'boy," Khaga said moving over to the anvil and sitting down next to it. "That's the really good stuff about mi'brother's stew."

Link thoughts turned back to Rashu's question. "Well, my name is Link Kishoke and as for what troubles me... hmmm..." Link sighed and looked around for a place to sit down. Seeing a wooden stool, the islander seated himself and began to wonder where to begin.

"Well... it started about one week and a day ago when my little sister woke me up to remind it that it was my twelfth birthday—which is really important for a boy on the island I come from, Outset Island." He took another bite of the stew and swallowed (he had gotten some of the chicken, and Khaga had been right; it was good). "We have a tradition on that island that all boys who come of age receive outfits like the one that's drying over the fireplace in the other room: clothes like the ones the Hero of Time wore."

"I think I've heard of that tradition," Rashu said. Link took another bite and listened to him. He hadn't thought of it before, but Rashu's voice was rather sage-like. "I'm assuming something else happened on that day..."

Link looked at the floor. "Everything," he said. "Almost everything." Raising his head to meet the moblin's face, he began to explain further about the promise his grandmother had given him about the tournament, the gifts from everyone—especially Aryll's telescope, and Orca's Sword—and his leave from Outset Island. Then, he explained what happened with the whirlpool that he nearly died in and was saved by a group of pirates. "Tetra was the one who pulled me out of the water with the help of the other pirates and a crane," he said. "I would have died if weren't for them."

"How kind of them," Rashu said. "I feel like I beginning to sense where this is going. Did they do anything else for you?"

Link laughed a little. "I... I pretty much spent the rest of my time up to yesterday afternoon with Tetra and the pirates," he said. Every time he mentioned Tetra, Link felt the urge, the need to hurry. Every second that passed was one less second in Tetra's life. In a more brief manner, he explained to Rashu and Khaga about the attack from Ghashar, him helping the pirates out of the mess, Tetra accepting him as their swordsman for the tournament, and all the things he experienced in _Kakariko Port Town_, _Castle Town_, _the Arena_, _the Forsaken Fortress,_ and finally, the trial.

"I didn't know what to do," Link explained, he had finished his meal by now and felt stronger, but inside he was still overly anxious about Tetra's life. "She's a... really good friend of mine and I really believe her story about Ganondorf. It seemed like there was nothing I could do, I just ran away from the castle and came on the ledge above your cave... well, it used to be above it," he added rather sheepishly. "There, I remembered something that Sturgeon had taught me; it was about prayer. So, I prayed to the goddesses for help and... I don't know if they heard me or not."

Rashu tapped his staff on the floor twice. "They heard you, Link. And they are now using their servants as instruments in their hands to answer your prayer." The islander gave him a puzzled look of disbelief. "I felt something speak to me when I was inside the cave here before we brought you in. I had a feeling that someone in desperate need was outside my home, so I walked out and found you weeping in the dust and dirt of the broken ground."

"... so you're a prophet or something, Rashu?" Link asked curiously.

"Just a practitioner in the magical arts," the elderly moblin explained. "I have been one for many years, while my brother has been in his own art for almost the same amount of time."

"It's like we're two puzzle pieces that make a whole, Link," Khaga said. "I know lots about fightin', arms-bearin', weapon-makin', archery, and other stuff like that." He opened his mouth to say something else when Link saw Rashu raise a hand to silence him. "Oh, I see, bro," Khaga responded.

Wondering what passed between the two brothers, Link turned his thoughts back to Rashu's occupation. "... you're a wizard then!"

"Of some sorts, yes," Rashu said to Link. "I am indeed a wizard. I have traveled all paths of magic: light, neutral, and dark, and tasted of each of their powers for myself. I see you have an Adventurer's Pouch," he added, looking at the blue pouch that Link had strapped to his belt.

"Yeah," Link said. "Tetra gave it to me. She said that wizards created these types of things. Did you ever create one?"

"'Create?'" Rashu repeated. He leaned on his staff and shook his head. "No. No wizard has ever created anything. Matter must exist first before an object can be formed," he explained. "Therefore, the tradition was to take a normal, leather pouch, dye them in a different color—at that time, the most popular color was light-blue—and then enchant it to shrink anything placed inside of it to exactly one-tenth its size."

"That's what Tetra told me," Link said. He bit his tongue and just couldn't take it anymore. "So, if you are the answer to my prayers. Help me," he begged. "How can I save Tetra's life? I really believe she did the right thing. ... do you believe me? No one else would at the castle," he swallowed after feeling a bit choked in the throat. "Please, help me. I... she's... really important to me." He looked from Rashu to Khaga and back again, expecting to be laughed at.

"Link," Rashu said slowly after a long time. "You're missing something gravely important to your heart. You must learn to bear Courage in order to save Tetra's life." He stood up, using the support of his staff to help lift himself up.

"'Bear Courage?'" Link asked quietly. "What do you mean by that?" Courage was a description, and sometimes a feeling. How could you 'bear' a description on yourself? When the islander thought about it, a bizarre image of the word "Courage" appeared in his mind, resting on the back of some person walking up a mountain.

"Come, I'll show you after you change back into your Hero's Clothes," Rashu said. "Things will start to fall into place soon." He beckoned towards the dining room as he walked into the room himself.

"Trust mi'brother, Link," Khaga said from behind. Link turned around to look at him. "Rashu always knows what he's talkin' about and thinkin' about. Remember where we live, too. If ya ever need anything, come to us, mi'boy," he offered. "We will find a way to help you."

After a little pause, Link stood up from the stool, still holding the empty bowl in his hand, and nodded at Khaga. "... thank you," he said.

-S-

Rashu was right again, Link's clothes were dry and so the islander went into Rashu and Khaga's sleeping quarters to change back into them. When he came out, Khaga gave the islander his sword and shield. Strapping them to his back with a belt that went across his chest, Link smiled at Khaga. The burly moblin went back to work on some metal object that he had been working on when Link had first entered their home.

"Come," Rashu summoned Link from the doorway of the dining room. "Come with me to the shrine room."

Link ran over to Rashu, running his hand against the cold stone wall. When he caught up with the moblin, Link walked alongside him into the corridor ahead that led into shrine. The shrine was much darker than the rest of the moblins' home which had been lit with bright torches. In here, there were only two, dim torches on pedestals. Between the torches lay a stone engraving on the floor, and engraving that looked like the _Triforce_.

"Wow..." Link said quietly, as he looked around with great awe. The walls were not just jagged stone, but had beautiful wall carvings of hieroglyphics that Link knew he would never be able to read. Despite all its darkness, the room carried an air of sacredness, as if the islander were standing in the presence of one of the goddesses. He looked to his left and he saw Rashu walking towards a dark corner. Quickly, yet with respect to the room itself, Link ran over to Rashu and looked up at him. "Where are you going?"

"Here," Rashu said as he hit his staff on the floor in front of him. Suddenly, the floor before them caved in and collapsed to a place even deeper in the earth. "Go down here, and retrieve a sword I once lost in this room. I believe it's down here."

Link was puzzled. "Wait. If you lost it in this corner, how did it fall through the floor if the floor was still intact?" he asked. It seemed very suspicious that a sword could fall through a floor without breaking it, but the touch of a staff caused it to collapse.

Rashu seemed to ignore his question. "Do you have a way of getting down?" Link opened his Adventurer's Pouch, and pulled out the grappling hook the pirates gave him.

"Yeah, I think," the young swordsman responded. "But everything is pitch black. I can't see anything down there." He felt Rashu's hand land on his shoulder to pull him back. "Huh?"

Rashu knelt down in front of Link and said, "Close your eyes, Link." The islander did as he was told and then felt the touch of two fingers on his eyes. He didn't know what Rashu was doing or what he intended to accomplish by this, but something inside Link's heart told him to trust the magician. Then, Rashu pulled back his fingers. "Now, open them," he said softly.

Link slowly opened his eyes, and then they popped open in surprise. "Whoa!" Suddenly, the shrine room was a lot brighter and he could see the floor of the pit below. "What did you do? Everything is easier... to see in here."

Rashu smiled. "I cast a spell on your eyes. It will allow you to see in to the dark to a degree for about an hour. That should be plenty of time for you." Link looked down, and felt hesitant to climb down into the pit. Apparently, Rashu noticed this, because he said, "hurry, Link! Tetra's life is slowly ticking away. From what you told me.. you are the only one who can save her life."

A mental image of Tetra's pretty face and beautiful body came to Link's mind. He saw her lovely eyes, and attractive smile before he saw her wink at him. _Tetra..._ Quenching his fears, the islander grappled the hook onto one of the more rough edges of the hole and then let the rope down to the very ground below. "I'll be back," he said as he jumped in, and grabbed the rope.

Link climbed down the rope and placed his feet on the ground. Turning around, the islander was amazed as he saw this great opening in the cavern. Now, everything in this deep grotto was, to Link, dark as the shrine room was before Rashu cast the spell on him. There was one light in the distance that seemed to come from a small break in the ceiling. It was illuminating a straight object, sticking out of the ground, but Link couldn't make out what it was from where he stood.

Before him were a set of stairs carved out of the stone that went down towards the floor of the opening. As he walked down the steps carefully, the islander looked around at the formations of the cavern with his head swinging slowly with each turn. The opening was quite large, at least three times as big as the throne room in Hyrule Castle's Palace. On the ceiling hung various stalactites of dark stone. Link was half worried that they might fall on him at any moment. Around him, there were many skulls, bones, and other signs of things that once had life, but no longer carried it with them.

As he walked into the center of the opening, Link looked ahead to see what the object was in the light. There, he saw a sword sticking into a small pedestal with its hilt pointing upwards. The sword looked ancient, its blade was dull and the hilt looked... unnatural. It was deep blue in color, and had a hollow, diamond-shaped cavity that was completely black. In the center of the rectangular crossguard. Something about the crossguard made Link feel suspicious, as if it wasn't supposed to be shaped that way.

_This must be the sword Rashu was talking about earlier. _Not wanting to waste anymore time, Link made a dash for the pedestal. Suddenly, when he was about five feet from the sword, he rammed into something invisible, that knocked him over. "Agh!" He rubbed his head tenderly and looked towards the sword to see what had blocked him. To his surprise, he saw golden, transparent rectangular blocks making a half circle around the sword to the wall of the cave, blocking Link completely from its reach.

"Hee hee hee," a voice cackled from behind him. "Another victim! Another fool seeking after the sword of legend!" Link turned around to see a weird humanoid floating in the air in ripped, green, and wavy robes with a pointed hat. "Ah, just a child? How sweet," it said, mockingly. "Too bad, I have to put an end to your life so early. Ta-ta!" Suddenly, it raised its black hands and fired a wave of magical energy at Link, before vanishing into thin air.

The islander swiftly rolled out of the way of the oncoming blasts that exploded on contact on the ground. He heard a cackle to the left and saw the wizard-like creature throw more spells at him. Link bought up his shield to block them, but the spells were too strong, and they knocked him back onto the ground with such force that Link coughed out a little blood. "Gack!"

The wizard-like creature kept cackling, teleporting, and firing off magical waves of destruction at the young swordsman. Link kept dodging and rolling out of the way of each attack nimbly as he tried to think of a way to kill this being. "Hee hee hee," the wizard-like being cackled from behind Link. "You're pretty good for a child."

"I am not a child!" Link growled. Suddenly, he backflipped twice towards the wizard-like creature and tried to stab it in the head. For a split second, the islander saw a look of surprise and sudden shock on the creature's face before it vanished, leaving Link's sword to eat the dirt below. _Dang it!_ The sword was jammed into the ground so hard that the islander couldn't pull it out. Suddenly, he felt a sharp, burning pain in his back as he was blasted forward from behind by a spell into the cave wall. "Ow... dang it!"

Again, the islander rubbed his head tenderly. He pushed himself to get up when he felt something under his hand that was long and made of wood. Link looked down to see a small bow (that seemed to fit his size), still in decent condition, with a well-tied draw-string connected to the arching wood on the ground. Next to it were a few arrows of moderate condition with metal tips on the edge.

The islander heard the wizard-like creature cackle again from behind. With a single thought, Link grabbed the bow, and one the arrows, nocking it into the drawstring while rolling to the left to avoid the energy blasts. "Wait a minute, boy! Put that down!" the wizard being warned. Ironically, the being sounded rather nervous now that Link had a bow in his hands.

"Wait... you don't like this?" Link asked with a smug smile growing on his face. The wizard-like creature didn't respond and just unleashed waves after waves of spells at the islander. Jumping, ducking and rolling around, Link finally fired an arrow at the wizard-like creature. It looked like it was about to teleport, but it was too late, the arrow slammed into the wizard's shoulder and sent it into the ground, with black blood coming out of its shoulder.

Immediately, Link dashed for his sword, placing the bow on his back. As he reached the blade, he struggled to pull it out with all the strength he could muster. After about a few seconds of tug-a-war with his own sword, the islander pulled it out of the ground and made a mad dash for the wizard. He slashed at the wizard-like being, hoping to cut it in half, when, the wizard suddenly teleported, the arrow dropping out of its shoulder onto the ground.

Sheathing his sword quickly, Link grabbed the arrow and took out his bow. Looking around quickly, yet carefully for the wizard-like being, the warrior nocked the arrow into the bowstring, ready to fire at a moment's notice. He heard a cackle from his right side and above him and immediately, he looked for a green figure to launch his arrow out. There it was, the wizard! Unleashing the arrow at it, Link saw that the wizard, instead of firing back, teleported away before the arrow hit him. _Dang it!_ the islander thought as the arrow hit the wall and fell behind the magical wall blocking the ancient sword. _I'll need to grab another one._

Link ran over to where he found the bow and this time, picked up all the arrows (three in total), and nocked all three at once in the bowstring. It was difficult to hold, but the islander didn't care. Prowling around the cavern carefully like a vicious cat, Link waited until he heard the cackle of the evil being and the fire of his spell. The energy waves were coming towards Link, and at the last second, the islander backflipped out of the way and shot all three arrows at the wizard-like being sideways!

Two of them missed, flying past the barrier and onto the side of the ancient sword like the first one, but the last one hit dead center, knocking the wizard creature onto the ground and then bouncing it off its own magical barrier right to Link's feet. "It's over, loser!" he cried as he stabbed the wizard-like creature through the middle.

"Gaaacckk!!" it screamed. "No! This isn't over yet, boy! I will kill you and add your bones to my collection!" it let out a cackle of insanity and vanished once again. Leaving the arrow and the sword behind in the ground.

This time, Link pulled his sword out of the ground with ease and sheathed it. He had only one arrow left and he needed to use it wisely. Nocking it carefully into the bowstring, he ran right up to the barrier and waited. He was forcing the wizard-like being to face him from the front or the sides, but not from behind. The islander was intent on not losing this last arrow. "You're rather clever... and quick on your feet. ... and that's really annoying me, child! DIE!"

Suddenly, the wizard-like being appeared right in front of him and began to charge a large spell. Link waited, keeping himself calm and watched the magical display. "Behold, this is the end of your life, enjoy the last few seconds of breath, you little whelp! HA HA, you fool!" Finally, the wizard launched giant twin balls of energy at Link, threatening to destroy him.

However, the young warrior had different plans in mind. As soon as the energy spheres were about to hit him, he rolled forward, allowing the energy spheres to hit the magical barrier and then bounce off back towards their master. The wizard-like creature cried out in fear and before it could teleport, it was fried by its own spells.

Looking weak and floating down to the ground, the wizard-like creature was suddenly nailed in the head from the last arrow Link had, breaking in half on contact. While it was screaming in pain, the islander rushed forward and yelled, "No, this is the end for you!" And with that, he ran the wizard-like creature through with his blade, with black ooze—its blood—pouring out of its head, shoulder, and core.

"No..." the creature mumbled. "I cannot... after all these years... be defeated by... by a child. Agggghhhhhhh!!" it screamed in agony before exploding into a puff of thick black smoke, leaving a bloody mess with the ripped and broken green robes lying on top of it all.

Huffing, and breathing in heavily, Link left the broken arrow in the bloody mess and pulled out a cloth to clean off his sword. Turning around, the islander looked towards the sword to see to his delight that the barrier had disappeared completely, granting him access to his lost arrows and the sword which the wizard-like creature had called "legendary."

_'Sword of Legend,' huh?_ Link thought, sheathing his own sword and putting the bow into his Adventurer's Pouch. _I wonder whose bow this was?_ Whoever it had belonged to, Link took a moment of silence to honor the person who had wielded this weapon down in the earth below here. No more would anyone die down in this dusty cave deep in the earth.

After taking his moment, Link stepped forward towards the sword and passed through where the barrier once was. As he stood before the sword, he saw a new beauty in the blade. Something great was being held within the weapon's core, he could feel it, as if something powerful was sleeping inside that sword. Picking up the three arrows, wiping them clean, and then putting them into his adventurer's pouch, Link walked up to the sword and grabbed the hilt with both hands.

"Whoa!" the islander was suddenly surprised when a bright glow of golden light appeared from below his feet. He looked, and to his shock, he saw, surrounding the pedestal, a large, glowing symbol of the _Triforce _on the ground below. "What... what is this?" Regardless of what was happening, Link remembered what Rashu said and didn't let his fear get the best of him. Pulling with all his might, the islander drew the ancient blade out of the pedestal and he was suddenly engulfed in bright, golden light.

-S-

Finally, the light cleared and Link could see again. In his hands, he found himself holding the ancient sword in his left hand. The sword was larger than the sword Ocra gave him, this 'legendary' sword was longer and thicker in blade and had a bit of a larger hilt, and pommel stone. For one thing, it was much more ornate than his normal sword.

Examining the sword carefully, Link decided to see how well it would cut the air (a way of telling if a blade was well-made or not). He made three slashes, a vertical one, a horizontal one, and then a diagonal one, each swing making a _whoosh_ noise as the blade cut through the air. "So... this is it. This is the sword Rashu wanted me to get," he said to himself. "Cool. I wish I'd get to use it..."

He looked at the pedestal again to see that the _Triforce_ symbol had completely vanished. In fact, there was no trace of any carving on the ground whatsoever. _That's strange._ Then, Link noticed something behind the pedestal. He walked over to it and looked at the object. It was also a long, straight object, but unlike the sword, it was extremely dusty as Link discovered when he picked it up, and starting coughing.

Wiping off the dust, Link beheld that it was a sword scabbard colored in a stylish blue and yellow pattern. It was probably for the sword that he had pulled out of the pedestal. He sheathed the sword into the new scabbard and it fit perfectly, it was indeed, the sword's sheath. "Alright. I guess now I just take this back to Rashu." Carrying the sword in its sheath in his left hand, Link ran across the stone floor, remembering whose life was on the line. He ran up the stairs and found himself looking at his grappling hook's rope.

Unbuckling Orca's sword from his back and replacing it with the new sword (and placing Orca's Sword into his Adventurer's Pouch), Link grabbed the rope and climbed up until he reached the edge of the pit. He pulled himself out of the pit and onto the ground of the shrine. There, Rashu was mediating in front of the shrine. It seemed like he had been waiting for Link the whole time.

Link gathered up his grappling hook and placed it into his Adventurer's Pouch (which was still only about one-third of the way full). He didn't want to interrupt Rashu's mediation, but he wasn't sure what to do. Quietly, he approached the elderly moblin, who suddenly startled the islander when he spoke. "I see you retrieved the sword. Good work, Link. You have started to learn how to bear Courage."

The magician stood up and looked at him. "Buckling up the weapon to yourself already?" he asked with a smile. Link felt alarmed and quickly tried to unbuckle the new sword when he felt Rashu's hand place itself on his left shoulder. "Don't unbuckle it. I meant the sword for you to keep, Link."

"R-really?" the islander asked with disbelief. "Are you serious? I can keep this legendary sword? Or at least that's what the strange creature told me it was," he added sheepishly. The thing had been an evil being. Maybe it had lied to him and this blade was just an ordinary sword.

"Yes, you can keep it," Rashu responded. He looked at the young warrior curiously and then asked, "what is this creature you speak of? Were you attacked down there in the cave?" Link nodded. "I see. What type of creature was it?"

"Um... I don't know. It looked like a wizard with a green, wavy robe with completely black skin," Link explained. "When I killed it, it disappeared in a puff of smoke, but it also bled black blood." The islander had a disgusted look on his face as he thought about the vileness of the creature. "It kept teleporting and trying to kill me while blocking the sword with a barrier. I managed to find a bow and four arrows, and I used those to kill it off along with my sword. But what was it? It couldn't have been a Soul-less, could it? I mean... it bled!"

"That was a monster of darkness you fought, Link," Rashu explained to him, keeping his hand on the islander's left shoulder. "It is called a 'Wizrobe.' They are extremely dangerous; however, you discovered its weak point early—arrows. Arrows fire too fast for a wizrobe to teleport away from. It is neither truly living nor is it Soul-less. You may run into many creatures of darkness like this being in the future," he warned.

"Creatures of darkness..." Link chanted, repeating what Rashu had said, and starting to think about what he meant. Suddenly, he shook his head and snapped out of his dreamy thoughts. "Tetra! I need to save Tetra!" he cried out. Rashu hushed him quietly. "But... I..."

"It's alright. I'll come with you to the Palace, Link," Rashu said. That reassured Link. "And I think we still have a good amount of time left. First." The moblin raised a finger. "We must go see my brother so he can make you a quiver and get you some more arrows of finer quality as I imagine the arrows you found were rather frail."

"Yeah..." Link responded with utter awe. "How did you know that? One of the arrows broke when I shot it at the wizrobe." He blinked his eyes twice, looking at Rashu's face, most of which was hidden under the hood of his robes. "You... really are a prophet or something. ... but you never answered my question. How did you lose the sword?"

"I'm sorry," Rashu apologized. "I lied to you, Link. That place has been a sacred shrine for the sword since I was young. The wizrobe defiled the cavern, but thanks to you, you've restored its sacredness. When that being came in, I sealed it inside the sacred cavern with that floor. Only my staff could break that floor. That is why it appeared so weak," he explained to an awestruck Link. "But, enough talk. Let's go to my brother, and then we will go Hyrule Castle to save Tetra's life."

A smile of hope spread over Link's face. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. Rashu was right. The goddesses had listened and were answering his prayer. _Thank you for hearing my voice..._ he said a small prayer in his heart of gratitude to the goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore.

-S-

"There ya go, mi'boy!" Khaga said as he handed Link a new quiver with twenty arrows in it (They had burned up the three old ones he had found). "That should fit jus' fine even wit' your shield on your back. Jus' strap it like this." The large moblin shifted Link's shield a bit, and strapped the quiver around his back. "There!" he said as he finished helping the islander.

The quiver was fairly thin in shape, so it easily slipped between Link's (new) sword and shield. The islander pulled out the bow he found in the cavern, and tested out his quiver by reaching for an arrow. He was going to try to pull it out without difficulty, and nock it on the bowstring. After a few tries, he started to get the hang of it and managed to nock arrows quickly from his quiver, saving him time from trying to find them in his Adventurer's Pouch. "Thank you," he said to Khaga.

The moblin blacksmith grinned. "No problem! Now, I want to see that bow ya found down there," he said. Link handed him the bow he found in the cavern, and watched Khaga look it over carefully. "Now! Here's a piece of good work! Lucky find, mi'boy. It's very well constructed and the wood and steel should hold it together nicely. Just tuck the bow into the quiver—believe me, it'll fit in there, it's small enough—when you aren't usin' it." He handed the bow back to Link and nodded his approval of the weapon.

Link was very grateful to both Rashu and Khaga for their help. He would have never imagined that he would meet friendly moblins before. So, prior to leaving the cave, Link decided to ask a question. "I hope this doesn't rude, but... Khaga, Rashu, I've always heard that moblins were savage and cruel. I didn't expect you guys to be... so intelligent, and friendly."

Khaga grinned as he went back to blacksmithing. "Heh. That's not rude at all! Why, there are savage humans, too, mi'boy," he responded.

"Indeed." Rashu nodded. "Like moblins, and bokoblins, humans will have their savage beasts and their civilized beings. The bokoblins that Ghashar had were intelligent, right? They may not have had hearts of gold, but they were intelligent." The islander nodded at Rashu. Remembering the fact that the bokoblins on Outset Island were hardly intelligent at all.

"If you do find a vicious moblin or bokoblin," Rashu continued. "If they will not listen to reason, you are free to defend yourself and kill them. Our tribes will not be offended. There are also chances that one of those vicious beings might be a Soul-less, in which, as you already know, by killing them, you'll set them free. Either way, no bad blood builds between you or our tribes. So do not worry, and bear Courage instead of fear."

Link nodded again, he was serious now, and ready to move. "I understand. Thank you both for everything you've done," he said very politely. "Now... I have to go save Tetra." He looked up at the elderly moblin and asked, "Rashu... you said you'd come with me, right?" Link was hoping that the wizard's wisdom would help him testify of something, somehow, to help Tetra out of her dire situation.

To the young swordsman's relief, Rashu nodded. "Yes. We should get going quickly. The rain has stopped, but the clouds are even darker now," he said. The islander remembered what the elderly moblin had said about the rain storm earlier that day. Were the clouds omens of warning to Link and Rashu to hurry to Hyrule Castle? Soon, they would find out. "Come, let's go."

The two then exited the cave, saying good-bye to Khaga as they went out. "Don't let yer guard down and don't give up, mi'boy! Good health, mi'brother, and good luck to the both of ye!" he said as they left.


	18. Chapter 17: Link's Testimony

Chapter 17: Link's Testimony

Tetra remembered she had told Link about how worthless her life was; however, now she was filled with fear of being beheaded by the guillotine. Ganondorf had just finished cross-examining her, and King Daphnes was pouring his mind over the information, in hopes of making a proper judgment. The vile gerudo king had a smug smile on his face as he waited, watching Tetra in the witness chair. _Have... I really lost? And how do I know that he'll never find it?_ She was beginning to think that she had not hid the _Ocarina of Time_ well enough for Ganondorf to not find it, especially with everything the pirates had said on the witness stands.

It started with poor Niko, who starting weeping at mere power of Ganondorf's words. Then Mako, who told the truth, but also talked about Tetra's doubts about Ganondorf and her intent was to protect Hyrule, and not destroy it. The other pirates followed suit, but ended up revealing their secret hideout, the _Forsaken Fortress, _and how they had infiltrated the Temple during the tournament.

Tetra had been the last witness to speak before the King and the people. Even though some of Ganondorf's credibility had been destroyed when the elderly woman had lied about Link, he still had the upper hand. It seemed to have been a mere squabble and the people's love for Ganondorf was too strong to blame him. Instead, they had blamed the woman, letting her to leave the courtroom in tears.

Tetra's life was in the gerudo's grasp and she saw no way of Ganondorf letting go until every breath of life in her was squeezed out of her body. She didn't want to die, Tetra still had so many more things to do. Then, she remembered Link's promise.

_"No! I'm going to find a way to save your life without breaking the law! I swear I will!"_

She thought about how iron-willed he had been about it and wondered if it was even possible for the kid to save her life. She could see no way of her life being rescued by the young warrior. _Link, _she thought as if trying to communicate with him. _It's no use, go back to Outset Island and rebuild your life. ... forget about me, kid._

"Alright, I think I've made a decision," the King said. Ganondorf looked like a child who had just received the most wonderful birthday present ever. Tetra swallowed, this was it. She knew he was going to mark her for execution and place her on death row. It was only a matter of time before the King would give out the sentence.

"Is there anyone that would like to speak as a witness for Miss Tetra before I give the verdict?" the King asked. Tetra smiled, she appreciated how merciful Daphnes was despite what she had done. Now, she wanted to take back the unkind words she had said about the King to the pirates and the kid. "If there is none, then, I must—"

Suddenly, a deep, booming voice interrupted the King saying, "Hold, your majesty! Link would like to speak for Miss Tetra and the pirates!" Tetra looked up to see the doors just close behind a tall, cloaked man with staff in hand. Link was standing on his left side and Tetra could see a different countenance on his face then she had seen before earlier that day, something brave. She even saw a bow and a new sword strapped to his back.

The two started move down the aisle together towards the fenced space of the courtroom. Inside of her, Tetra felt a spark of hope. _Is this really happening? Is he really going to save my life?_ she thought anxiously.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ganondorf asked, sounding very irritated. "The King is about to give his judgment on this criminal! There is no more time for more—"

"No, Ganondorf," said the man. "You know the law as well as the rest of us: The King has the final say. Whether there is more time for witnesses or not is up to him, not you." As soon as they arrived in the main area of the courtroom, the man tapped his staff twice and suddenly changed form before Tetra's (and almost everyone else's) eyes into a large moblin, cloaked in a large hooded robe.

"... Ganondorf, and Your majesty..." he said slowly. "It has been a long time."

The people gasped at the sight of him and began to whisper very loudly among themselves about the moblin. Some were afraid, and others were exited. But unlike everyone else, except the gerudo and the King, Tetra knew this moblin. She could not control her mouth at the sight of him.

"Rashu? Is that really you?" she asked. At the mention of the name 'Rashu,' the people whispered even louder, insomuch that the King had to rap his gavel on the desk again, calling for order.

"People of the court!" The King announced. "Do not be alarmed at the presence of this moblin, for he is a wise and friendly one. He is my former, first advisor, Rashu. The very same who left his position to search for my daughter a few months after she had vanished." Silence pervaded the room as the audience looked upon Rashu with awe.

"I have the same question as Miss Tetra," the King said, turning his face towards Rashu. "Is that really you? Have you returned with possible news about Zelda?" he asked. Ganondorf did not look pleased at the sight of Rashu. In fact, he looked very angry, as if the great present he had been offered (Tetra's life) was being snatched away from him.

"Yes, it is I, your majesty," Rashu said. "However, I am sorry to say I have found no trace of Zelda despite my long journeys across the Mainland, the islands surrounding us, and my own meditations to the goddesses. I'm gravely sorry, your majesty."

_That's right!_ Tetra thought, she had met Rashu on the seas before. _Rashu was once of the King's Advisors, but he left his job to search for the princess. _The moblin had asked her if she had seen Zelda, and pirate captainess gave the same answer that she had given to Link when they were talking in the prison. She looked over at Link and the islander caught her eye, and exchanged a friendly smile with him.

Daphnes let out a deep sigh of grief. "It is sad news to hear that you've found nothing, especially with your grand wisdom, Rashu."

"Indeed," Rashu said. "But that is not why I am here. In fact, I am just an escort to a young warrior here whom you all know from his fame in the recent tournament." He stepped aside to allow Link to step forward towards the open space separated from the audience. "I will let the warrior speak for himself." Rashu nodded at Link, who returned the gesture and then opened his mouth.

"I.. I..." Link started. He looked very nervous; Tetra figured he had never spoken before a large crowd before, save his outburst earlier that day. "I'm not good at speaking in front of large audiences, but..." he paused and breathed in. Then he raised his hand, gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it. Everyone (except Rashu and Link) gasped at the sight of the blade.

-S-

The people were whispering loudly. "Is that really it? Is that the blade of evil's bane?" "You mean the _Master Sword_?" "It looks like it." "Maybe it's a fake." "But if it isn't then..."

Link looked around in confusion. "What?" He didn't understand, he remembered what Rashu had told him to do in order: Draw the sword, then ask to be a witness for Tetra. But it felt like there was a bump in their plan as the audience went wild. Fortunately, the King again, slammed his gavel and called out for order in the court.

"Rashu, what's going on?" the islander asked.

Rashu put a finger to his mouth. "Just listen for now."

"I must ask the both of you," Daphnes said. "Is that really the legendary Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane that Link holds in his hand?" The King himself seemed astonished, and Link didn't know why. Tetra, on the other hand, knew why, but she decided to wait to see what Rashu and Link would say first.

"Yes, your majesty," the wise moblin said. "This is the Master Sword, the very weapon that the Hero of Time used to destroy Majora one-hundred and fifty years ago."

Link blinked in shock, and he started examining the sword over and over again, turning it in his hand and looking at each side of the blade. "W-wait? The Hero of Time used this sword??" He knew he had seen it somewhere in his studies and now he was overwhelmed by the fact that he was holding such a sacred blade, not to mention the very blade that the legendary Hero used.

Tetra snickered to herself in the witness's chair. Now she saw it, the shield, the sword, the vast amount of weaponry, the green tunic, and hat. She remembered one thoughtful night in her cabin where she had looked at a picture of a warrior in green holding a sword. _He's it. My guess was correct. He is it, _the pirate girl thought. _I'm certain of it._

"Yes, Link," Rashu said. "However, most of its power is sleeping within the blade, waiting to be unleashed. The reason I told you to draw it is to prove your honesty for your testimony." Link looked at him in awe. "Only those with pure hearts can touch this sword."

There was a snort from Ganondorf. "But if its power is asleep, then the sword means nothing. There's no sacred power there!" Tetra wanted to kick the gerudo in the balls, but she restrained herself in the seat.

"Ganondorf, my old friend," Rashu said indifferently. "You should know that the Master Sword never allows _all _of its power to sleep. It will still ward off evil beings, and can only be touched by those of honor, courage, and purity. Since the sword has not rejected Link, this young warrior has all those qualities. What do you think, your majesty?" he said, turning to the King probably in respect of the King's position. Link was pink in the face, but the islander decided to raise the sword up for all to see.

"Well," the King looked utterly astonished. In fact, he almost looked intrigued by the recent turn of events. "This is something I did not expect to happen, I think it means quite well that whatever Link testifies will be true." Link saw Ganondorf whirl around to look at the King.

"Ah, but even if that's the case," the gerudo said rather hastily. "then the sword could have accepted anyone with a pure heart. This does not mean that this boy is actually the—" He was interrupted by Daphnes.

"No," the King said. "He probably isn't; however, he has the qualities and the Master Sword has accepted him. No matter how much power is sleeping in that blade, I feel, no," he stopped and then spoke again. "I rule for this court session that Link is completely trustworthy with that sword in his hand." Link beamed at Daphnes. Even after all the trouble he had caused, the King was still sympathetic to the islander. "Well, Shiro!" The King said to the pirates' lawyer, who was sleeping at the time, but awoke at his name being called. "What do you think, will you allow this young man to be a witness for your party?"

Shiro looked over at Link and then almost fell out of his chair when he saw the Master Sword in his hand. Straightening himself out, and sitting up, the lawyer shrugged and said, "Sure! Why not?" Tetra and Link both smiled pleasantly, and the pirates were grinning too. They all seemed happy to see Link.

"Well then!" Ganondorf said, sounding a bit miffed. "We'll have Miss Tetra sit down and Link take her spot on the witness seat. Let's move, children!" he ordered. Tetra shot him a glare, but did as she was told. Link sheathed the Master Sword and walked towards the witness seat. He was nervous, he had never done anything like this before, but recalling Rashu's words about bearing Courage, the islander went forward anyway.

Tetra suddenly bumped him with one of her arms and passed a soft whisper into his ear. "Good luck, Link." After that she sat back down with her pirates, she felt a lot more relieved now that Link was here. She had no idea how the islander could save her life, but the mere fact that he was there spoke to his honor. He had promised to save her, and now he was here.

Pink in the face from the encounter with Tetra, Link sat down at the witness's chair. Ganondorf approached him with a dark look on his face. The islander returned it with his own stare of confidence, he wasn't going to let the gerudo get the best of him this time. He prepared himself for whatever questions Ganondorf would give him.

-S-

Link watched as Ganondorf brought forth a book in green. He laid it on the desk in front of the islander, and said, "While you have the sword, for the sake of court proceedings this must be done. Boy, place your hand on this book," he commanded. The warrior didn't want to give in to Ganondorf's hands, but when he looked at the book again, he recognized it. It was a copy of the Book of Mudora, the sacred scriptures written by the prophets of the goddesses.

Nodding his head, Link placed his hand on the book. "Do you," Ganondorf began. "Link, solemnly swear by this book and the divinity of the goddesses to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," Link said. He had no intention of lying, but Rashu had laid out a plan for him to execute in order to save Tetra's life. However, the moblin magician had also told him to remain quiet until Ganondorf or the King asked him any questions.

"What is your full name and place of birth, boy?"

The islander frowned, he wondered what his identity had to do with the case. But nevertheless, seeing that all the eyes in the courtroom, the audience, the guards, James, Gonzo, Niko, Nudge, Senza, Mako, Zuko, Tetra, Shiro, Daphnes and Ganondorf, were on him, he kept himself under control, and decided to respond.

"My name is Link Kishoke, I was born on Outset Island to the south of here," he said. Link looked at Tetra for a second, and he saw her give him an encouraging wink. He looked at James, and the guard caught his eye. The guard nodded at him approvingly. Feeling a little relieved and burdened at the same time that so many people were depending on him, he used all the courage he could muster to keep speaking. "I recently became of age on Outset Island, or at least, what we 'islanders' as you'd call us, believe to be the coming of age. I'm twelve years old, and I guess by your standards that I'm nothing but a boy."

"So, that means the people of your island see you as a man, now?" Ganondorf asked politely. Even for Link, he was still putting on his friendly mask, the same one that the islander could see right through. "Perhaps for the sake of this trial we will consider you to be one." The gerudo was pacing back and forth on the floor. "What exactly do you have to offer to the court in Tetra's defense, Link?"

"Tetra saved my life," Link said with confidence. All the eyes on him widened, and then he saw Tetra smile and smack herself in the head, as if she had forgotten something. She threw another wink at the islander and the pirates all gave him encouraging looks.

Ganondorf seemed flabbergasted. "She did... what?"

"She saved my life," Link repeated, raising his voice a little. "As I was coming here to enter the tournament. I didn't know anything about it, but my Grandmother and I had made a promise that when I reached of age, she'd let me set sail for the Mainland to enter the Swordsman Tournament that my master had been in, about fifty years ago. On my way there, I stumbled upon a gigantic whirlpool that began to suck me in. My mast broke, and I was certain I was going to die until I heard someone shouting 'hey kid!' at me."

The islander took in a deep breathe and exhaled before he continued. "I looked over and saw a massive ship, I saw them, the pirates, lower crank for me to grab onto and be pulled out of my breaking ship. I missed the first time around, but the second time around, I caught the hook. I felt so weak and lifeless that I couldn't take anything in. I do remember hearing this: ''Hoy there, kid. Are you okay?' I lost consciousness after that. I had a strange dream that I don't recall anymore and woke up coughing. The pirates had been kind enough to get a doctor who sold healing potions to nurse me back to health."

"What proof do you have that it was the pirates?" Ganondorf asked, still pacing. Through his mask, the islander could see growing frustration and anger. He wasn't sure exactly why the fact that Tetra saved his life was such a big deal. It seemed to affect everyone except Rashu. The audience looked stunned and eager to hear more.

Link looked over at the pirate captainess. "After the pirates escorted out and paid the doctor, I was left alone, until I heard someone call me to my right. It was Tetra, sitting on stool next to me. She was very concerned for my health and I found out she was even letting me use her bed to rest in. I remember her being very kind to me that day."

Of course, Link remembered the argument he had with the pirate girl and her explosion, but that was the past, he didn't need to tell anyone about that. He was trying to follow the plan that he and Rashu had made while traveling to the castle together. _He had told me to mention specifically that she had saved my life, but why?_

"... that's not enough evidence," Ganondorf said after a few minutes. Link was irritated, the gerudo had already been told that the King had the final say. "He could have easily been brainwashed through magic and of course, the pirates will support it, because it'll save Tetra's life."

"Wait a minute!" Link said loudly. "Didn't you shoot down the idea earlier about magical smoke bombs? If they didn't use magical ones, then how could they have used magic on me? Also, I am not lying, nor delusional! I'm tired of you, Ganondorf, of making false calms that I'm delusional, or brainwashed or what—"

He was cut off by Ganondorf. "Silence! You're not allowed to speak out of turn like that, unless you ask or are asked, Link." The audience looked at him in awe, even the pirates and Tetra looked astonished.

"But..." the islander tried to protest.

Daphnes rapped the gavel again on his desk, startling Link. "Enough! Link, you do provide a good point in favor of Tetra, but please, do not speak out of turn. Let me apologize for Ganondorf's anger towards you, we know you don't understand how the court works well. Just relax." He consoled the islander, patting him on the shoulder. "You said something that might clear Tetra's death sentence."

"I'm sorry," Link said, he found himself absentmindedly fingering the hilt of the Master Sword. Shaking his head to relieve him of his fazed state, he looked at the King. "But, your majesty, may I ask a question?"

"Certainly," the King said. "Since you've now asked politely, you may. What is it?"

"What do you mean that I've might have 'cleared Tetra's death sentence?'" he asked. Link's heart was filled with hope. He truly wanted to keep his promise to her that he would find a way to save her life without breaking the law. Now, the King was suggesting that what he saw was within the law, and could spare her from being beheaded.

"I should have figured you didn't know about this law, Link," Daphnes said. He sighed, looking off into space. "This law is a divine law given by the goddesses themselves. It is called the _Soul-for-a-Soul_ bond. If Tetra indeed saved your life, then you hold that bond with her, and the goddesses clearly stated that we cannot execute anyone in that bond. While the person is not cleared of the charge or verdict, they are cleared of the sentence."

Link's jaw dropped a little; now he knew why Tetra had hit herself in the head like she had forgotten something. "I just... did something that the goddesses... bless as a rule?" he couldn't help, but ask.

"Yes," Daphnes said. Then he sighed and said, "However, Ganondorf is right. We only have hearsay evidence that she saved your life. On the other hand though, if we do execute her, the goddesses will judge it against us as a severe sin, even as bad as murder." He looked at Link. "Do you have anything physical that or tangible that would prove your tale? Please excuse me if you think I sound like I'm accusing you of lying. I believe you, Link. But... I'm just following the law and procedures. There must something else you have to prove it."

The young swordsman racked his brains for an answer. It seemed like the safety of her life was almost in his hands, yet not even close to snatching her from the jaws of death. "I... unless we can look into memories, I don't think I have anything of good proof about my story," Link said. He did not look at Tetra, he felt like he had failed her. Now, they would kill her and all of his efforts would be in vain.

"We can," Rashu said from the front. The islander looked over at him hopefully. "Pardon my rudeness, your majesty, but Link does have evidence to prove his story; however, he is unable to retrieve it. I can. May I act in his stead?"

Link thought he heard Ganondorf growl angrily as the King nodded at Rashu. "Of course, as long as Link agrees to it." He looked over at the islander and asked. "Do you approve of Rashu's intended action?"

"Yes," Link responded. _Anything, I'll do anything to save her._ He remembered his prayer to the goddesses, and his plea. The King smiled and nodded at Rashu, giving him the permission to go ahead.

"I will need Miss Tetra's assistance if she grants me the permission to do so," Rashu explained. Link peered over at the moblin, and wondered why he needed Tetra for the evidence.

Link took a risk glance at Tetra, only to see her being pushed by one of the guards to stand up. She glared at the guard and then looked at Rashu. "What do you need from me?" she asked. Her eyes caught the islander's, and he wanted to look away from her. To his surprise though, she smiled at him and threw him another wink, this time, of approval.

"I need to look into your memory, Miss Tetra, to see whether or not you actually saved Link's life," he explained. The islander gazed at Rashu with shock. He thought that was really intrusive to look into Tetra's memory, especially since her thoughts were private. "I promise not to reveal anything that would embarrass you."

Tetra shrugged. "It doesn't matter," she said indifferently. "I don't really have an image to tarnish here anymore." She sighed deeply and then asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Please, come over to me, if you will," Rashu said, beckoning her with his staff. Tetra shrugged again and walked over to Rashu, her sandals making a loud clapping noise as she moved across the marble floor. "I warn you, this might hurt a bit, but it will not create any scars on you." The moblin lowered his staff and then scratched the point of it across Tetra's forehead. She winced heavily as the staff moved across and then Rashu released the staff and on the tip was a pearl-white drop of liquid hanging on to it.

"Ah!" Tetra blushed—one of the things that Link rarely saw her do—and said, "Uh..." she looked uncomfortable now. The islander wondered why, and he also wondered what the white substance was that Rashu pulled out of Tetra's head.

"Do you not want me to show this memory to the court and the King, Miss Tetra?" The pirate girl opened her mouth to protest, but then she shut it and nodded her head. "Alright then." Rashu waved his staff around, muttering something Link couldn't hear and then dropped the white liquid into the marble floor.

One of the most amazing things happened as it appeared before Link's face. The marble floor rippled like water and suddenly, he and everyone else in the court saw Tetra on the deck of her ship. He watched the image of Tetra spin around in shock.

_"Did you just say that was a kid!?"_ she turned around and looked out to sea with her telescope. Everyone saw what she saw, a young boy in green on a blue boat struggling to keep himself above water as the vicious, roaring waves of the whirlpool swirled him around.

Then, he heard an echoing voice, it was Tetra's voice. _No way... just like when I was..._

_"Miss Tetra?"_ Tetra looked over to the helm, showing Gonzo controlling the ship. _"Do you want me to go around?"_

_No, we can't!_

_"No!" _she shouted at Gonzo calmly. _"I want you to move as close as possible to the whirlpool and circle it!"_ They all then watched as Tetra commanded her pirates with a final say that had to do it. No complaints. As soon as the blue boat got closer, and the pirate captainess looked at it. Everyone could see a familiar face, frantic with fear trying to control his ship: Link.

They watched the memory continue, the pirates moving the crane in and lowering it. Suddenly, Link saw his own mast snap in half and collide with the pirate ship's hull. He was out of breath from actually seeing what it was like to watch himself from another point of view. Finally, the memory came to the part where Link tried to grab the hook of crane. He missed the first time around and he heard Tetra think, _If he doesn't make it this time, we can't save him. Don't worry, he's going to make it, he's not going to die._

The islander dared a glance at the pirate girl. She was fully red in the face, looking quite embarrassed. He was taken aback about how much she had cared for his life. Like her life was currently in the hands of the law, his life had been in the hands of the sea, and Tetra had been trying to save him, just like he was trying to save her now.

Back to the memory, Link finally grabbed the crane a second time. Everyone saw the image of the weakened boy, and he felt a general atmosphere of pity towards him in the memory. The memory then shifted a little after Tetra commanded her pirates to get Link into her room and to get a doctor. It shifted to a scene where she was watching him in her bed. Suddenly, Link sat up abruptly and with wide, plate-white eyes, coughed out red smoke from his mouth. Then, the doctor put down the red potion, and then the floor rippled again and the memory vanished.

"There..." Rashu said as it ended.

"... that's... exactly how it happened," Tetra said. Link was looking at her and then realized she was avoiding his glance with a red face. He wanted her to look at him, he wanted to say something to her, but they were in public, so he felt embarrassed about the idea. Still, his heart was pounding hard into his chest as he thought about how much Tetra had really cared about him, and making sure he survived.

Everything was silent for a long time, and then finally the King spoke. "Well... this changes everything!" The islander looked at Daphnes with awed hope filling his body. "Indeed, since Miss Tetra saved Link's life, then she must be cleared of the death sentence."

"Your majesty!" Ganondorf cried out. "This seems a little too suspicious. I beg you to reconsider—"

"No!" the King said quite firmly. "Ganondorf. This is a _divine_ law given from our goddesses. I am ruling as judge in this court that Tetra's death sentence be cleared!" he rapped his gavel on the desk once to drive in his point.

The audience started to whisper among themselves again. Some of the people gave Link looks of admiration, while threw looks of anger and disgust. Had they not expected the _Soul-for-a-Soul_ bond like Link had not? The islander caught James's eye; the guard was smiling at him approvingly.

Ganondorf on the other did not look happy at all, and this time he was not trying to hide it. It looked like the gerudo wanted to hit something really hard with his fists, or become extremely violent to try to get his way.

However, that didn't matter to Link (as he didn't think the gerudo would do it), Tetra was going to live now! He had kept his promise and her life was safely in his hands. Tetra finally looked up at Link and smiled sheepishly; her face still a little pink from the memory. Link smiled back, there was nothing that could describe what joy filled his heart and soul.

"However," the King said loudly, quieting everyone in the room. "We still need the _Ocarina of Time _returned to the Royal Family." He let out a wary sigh. "We cannot have it hidden since the _Triforce _was not only a sign of the goddesses' existence, but also a sacred power for hope in desperate times. We only have your word, Miss Tetra, that your intentions for stealing the Ocarina were for the safety of Hyrule."

Then Link remembered something. "Wait, your majesty! I think I have something just for that," he said. The islander rummaged in his pouches, looking for the other piece of evidence that Rashu had told him to show to the King. Finally, he found it, pulled it out of his Adventurer's Pouch and placed it on the desk for all to see. "This!"

It was a crystalline, dark-colored orb with swirling, dark purple and gray smoke within it. The audience gave a shocked gasp as they looked upon it, while the King and the gerudo were both stunned. "A _Soul Orb_!?" the King exclaimed. "Where on earth did you get that and what poor creature suffered from such a horrible fate, Link?"

Link breathed in. "Will what I'm about to say undo the _Soul-for-a-Soul_ bond?" he asked cautiously.

"No," Daphnes said. "There is nothing that you could say that would require us to break it. It is a divine law," he said with an almost hushed, fearful whisper. "I wouldn't dare to break it."

Link relaxed, this meant that Tetra was free of the death sentence no matter what he said. "Alright. While Tetra was hiding the _Ocarina of Time_ in their hideout, the searchlights were turned on, and not by the pirates," he added. "So, we suspected that someone else was after the Ocarina and we needed to take out those searchlights. As far as I know, going up the stairs to upper levels was a bad idea, because Tetra told her pirates to get their grappling hooks, and she gave me one for myself."

The islander continued to explain, looking from the intrigued King, to a pleased Tetra, to a frustrated Ganondorf, and the shocked audience as he spoke. "We each took a searchlight. There were eight of us and eight searchlights, so we were able to take them out in one strike.

"However, when I reached my searchlight without being detected, I found a bokoblin with... I can't explain it," Link said, remembering the awful feeling he had upon seeing the creature. "I..." he hesitated. "Something was unnatural about that bokoblin. I killed it, but it didn't bleed and it just vanished in a puff of purple smoke, leaving this orb behind."

"I see..." the King rather gravely. "Do you know what you had fought and what that orb is?"

"Yes," Link replied. "Tetra told me everything about the 'Soul-less' and that every one of the searchlights had been controlled by one of them. She told me that killing them was doing them a good deed." The islander looked at the orb on the desk, still handling it with his hands to keep it safe. "Tetra told me not to break this, and to bring this to a priest or a wizard in order to free them." He looked at the King. "Do you have anyone who could free these souls?" he asked, giving the King the orb.

"Yes, we do," Daphnes said to Link calmly, gently taking the orb from his hands. "In fact, Rashu could probably free them himself. Link, I will believe you, no memories needed this time, by your honor as the barer of the Master Sword." He looked at Tetra and pirates. "Did any of the Soul-less that you fought dropped any more orbs?"

"No, your majesty," Tetra replied solemnly. The islander could feel the silent, grim atmosphere of the room, as he were at a funeral. "Link was the only one whose Soul-less dropped a soul orb."

"Then that means that all eight of the bokoblin souls are stored in that single orb," the King said. Link thought he heard the King groan. "From good news to terrible news. Only the sorcerers with the darkest magic can create Soul-less. Almost everyone knows that, and the fact that there were Soul-less using the searchlights for something may confirm Tetra's statement about someone with truly evil intent to harm Hyrule."

Link frowned. He was certain that Tetra had probably accused Ganondorf in court while she was being cross-examined, but it seemed like the gerudo's reputation proceeded himself, helping him sweep all the dirt under the rug, so to speak.

"One soul orb doesn't prove anything," Ganondorf said rather sourly. He was looking at Link with the utmost loathing on his face. Their false friendship had definitely deteriorated into dust, and the islander was sure that the gerudo was wishing he had marked Link for execution as well.

The King frowned at Ganondorf. "It does prove something; it proves that some other being may have possibly been after the _Ocarina of Time,_" he retorted. "And everyone who understands the concept of the Soul-less knows that such a being is a threat to Hyrule." Daphnes turned around to look at Tetra. "We do need the _Ocarina of Time_ back and your fears may be correct. So, I plan on tripling the amount of protection in the _Temple of Time._ You're cleared of your death sentence, and I would ask to return it to us, then there will be no more enmity between you and the Royal Family."

Ganondorf was twitching angrily, but Link knew there was nothing he could to stop it now. Tetra seemed to ponder over the idea for a moment, and then she spoke. "Yes, I will return it to you now that you believe me. All I want is to prevent Hyrule to falling into utter darkness and despair." Some of the audience members gasped at this. The islander figured that, to them, the idea of pirate caring for the safety of their world was unbelievable, yet Link knew that Tetra did care.

"Very well," the King said. "I appreciate your cooperation for this." King Daphnes cleared his throat and then addressed the audience. "This trial is now over, and the court is adjourned!" The audience, now speaking loudly to each other, dispersed out of the court room.

As the King was removing himself from his seat, Link jumped out of the witness seat with his face full of glee. He immediately went for Tetra, who almost jumped back, startled, as he dashed up to her.

"Whoa!" Tetra laughed. "Someone is rather excited." She smiled gently and said with a kind, warm voice, "... Thanks for saving my life, Link." She winked at him (possibly flirtatiously?). "You did a good job for someone as a witness for their first time."

"Thanks," the islander said, scratching his head. "I guess." He knew he had to be blushing. "... I told you I would find a way."

Tetra chuckled, making eye contact with the islander. "Yes, you did. I'm very grateful to you for this." She moved close to him and whispered into his ear. "Especially for being so brave... brave like the Hero of Time himself. I like that, Link."

The islander's face went warm as she pulled away. _Is she flirting with me?_ He wondered to himself. _Does this mean she likes me now? ... I hope so._ If anything, Link was half hoping to get a hug from the cute pirate captainess, though, her chained hands would have gotten in the way. The other pirates were giving him looks of approval and encouragement, he had gotten them all off the hook.

Rashu approached them, and Link was unable to express the gratitude towards the moblin. "Th-thank you so much! The goddesses really did answer my prayer through you and your brother, Rashu."

The elderly moblin was smiling pleasantly. "I'm just very glad to see everything working out for the both of you." He looked up at the King as he approached the gathered group at the defense table. Shiro had fallen asleep again and Ganondorf was off to the side, probably fuming from his loss. "A wisely made judgment, your majesty. It is wonderful to see that you still are fair in everything you do."

"Thank you, Rashu," the King said. He looked at the moblin with a bit of hesitation, but then asked, "would you like return to your spot as an adviser for me?" Link thought that Rashu was going to refuse the offer, but to his surprise, the moblin nodded. "Thank you. Ganondorf..." Daphnes turned to look at the gerudo. "I'd like you to take Miss Tetra to the _Forsaken Fortress_ to retrieve the _Ocarina of __Time_."

Both Tetra and Link exchanged glances of shock and dismay. This wasn't what Link had hoped for; putting Tetra in Ganondorf's hands was almost the same thing as giving her the death sentence. He was about to speak, but the King continued. "You are to leave as soon as you arrive at the port town. If she does resist, which I highly doubt at this point, you're allowed to use interrogation." Now, Ganondorf looked pleased, too pleased at this. However, the King seemed to notice this and frowned. "Only _mild_ interrogation, Ganondorf. Nothing more, or you'll be the one on trial next," he emphasized.

"Of course, your majesty," the gerudo said, still looking rather gleeful. Before Link could stop him, Ganondorf grabbed Tetra. "Come, Miss Tetra, we have an Ocarina to fetch." He motioned at two of the guards, and then nodded, making a barrier around him and Tetra. As she was dragged out of the courtroom, Link could see her expression that said, "Help me please."

"Wait!" he cried out, but it was too late, Ganondorf had already taken her out of the courtroom. "Your majesty!" Link said, turning to the King. "You know about Ganondorf's hatred for her! I don't think he is going to obey you! I... I don't mean to be rude, but," Link stopped as Daphnes raised a hand to silence him.

"James!" the King called out to the guard who had almost left the courtroom. "Get all the equipment we confiscated from Tetra and her pirates, and bring it here along with the key to their bonds." The guard threw him a look of shock and surprise (and everyone else was confused too). "Don't ask why, just go!" The guard nodded, bowed and headed for the door. As soon as he had left, the King turned to the pirates.

"I'm sorry about this," he said to them. "I do believe Tetra is innocent now, but I need to take precautions. You may not know this, but Ganondorf is not only a swordsman, he is also a sorcerer who tends to play with the darker arts of magic," he explained gravely. "Since Ganondorf has a bias against her, I'm testing to see if he is truly loyal to me, or is trying to betray me as all of you, and Tetra have said. Link, the soul orb you gave me tipped me off. I don't want to take any chances at all."

"But, your majesty," Gonzo said. It had been a long time since Link had heard him speak. "He might torture her to death." A vivid image popped into the islander's head as soon as Gonzo had said it of Tetra chained to a wall, and Ganondorf approaching her with the darkest of tools. "The death sentence was cleared, right?"

"Yes," the King said. "And I don't intend on taking it back." Link was confused, wondering what Daphnes was trying to accomplish. "This is where you six and Link come in," he began to explain, sitting down on one of the chairs. "I know none of you are officially in the Royal Family military, but I'm giving you and a special mission." Link and the pirates exchanged glances of wonder.

"As soon as you are freed and have your equipment back—make sure to take Tetra's with you—I want you to go spy on Ganondorf at the fortress. Your ship is located in the Port Town as well." Daphnes pulled out a scroll and began to write on it. "Show this scroll to the guards, Link, and they will free the ship and allow you to use it."

"Wait... spy on Ganondorf? Don't you trust him?" Zuko asked, forgetting his manners entirely.

"I used to," the King said. "but like I said, the soul orb has made me suspicious. It is very possible that Ganondorf could create Soul-lesses. Your mission is twofold: First is make sure that he only uses mild interrogation at the most if Tetra resists. Second, check to see if there are any Soul-less there. If it was Ganondorf who sent them in the first place, then it is likely he might have a small force of them to guard the Fortress."

Now Link saw what the King was doing. While it was risking Tetra's life, if Ganondorf was betraying the King, he would know for certain. Now this was their chance to prove Tetra's story.

"If he breaks either of these codes," the King explained, motioning with his finger to Link and each of the pirates. "All of you have my absolute permission to raid the Fortress, set Tetra free and flee from the Fortress. Come back to me, and then we will deal with him, understood?"

"Aye-aye!" the pirates said and Link nodded. He felt serious, after saving Tetra's life from the guillotine, now he had to rescue her from the clutches of Ganondorf's filthy hands. Again, he found himself absentmindedly fingering the hilt of the Master Sword. It was like he was attracted to it, a weapon of righteousness and justice.

"I will come with you," Rashu said, surprising all of them. "If all the pirates have to raid the Fortress, then there will be no one to guard the ship. I will do that with the best of my ability. Besides, the wind has died down and Ganondorf uses a steam-based ship. Without the wind, the pirates cannot pursue the Gerudo King."

"Oh no." The King put his face in his hands. "I had forgotten about the need for wind on the pirate's ship. Maybe I can have you take one of my steamships, but then again, it would take a lot of talk to get all you one. I fear I've made a dreadful mistake now."

"You have not, your majesty," Rashu said calmly, trying to relieve the tension in the room. "For the power of the wind will be in their hands. Link, you must lead them," he said to the islander, looking down at him.

"Me? Lead them?" Link was utterly surprised that Rashu chose him. The islander had no experience leading a large ship with a crew before. How could he possibly lead the pirates to the _Forsaken Fortress_. "And what do you mean that we'll have the power of the wind?"

"Through this," Rashu said, and pulled out a long, thin, and white baton with spirals near the base like a sword. The spirals were inverted; one faced down and the other faced upwards. The King's eyes went wide with complete shock as he looked at the baton. "Take this, Link," Rashu commanded. "This is the counter-part instrument to the _Ocarina of Time. _This is the _Wind Waker._"

"I cannot believe my eyes, Rashu! The _Wind Waker_?!" Daphnes exclaimed quietly. He reached out and touched the _Wind Waker_ and then shook his head in utter awe. "I thought this artifact had been completely lost to Hyrule forever. How did you retrieve it?"

"I found it during my search for Princess Zelda," Rashu explained. He was still rather calm despite the shock that the King, Link and the pirates shared. "Link, that instrument conducts music and the wind itself. With the power of the _Wind Waker, _you can change the direction of wind and the strength of it. At least for now, soon, you'll learn new ways of conducting with it and be able to create powerful windstorms and create wind seals like the ancient times of old."

"Why are you giving this to me, though?" Link asked, as he reached out to take the baton. "Anyone can use it, right?" he added, looking up at Rashu.

"No," Rashu said. "Only one person can wield this baton, and I believe that you are that one person. Take it," he urged. Shrugging, the islander took the baton into his left hand. Suddenly, the baton released a voice-like sound and it lit up with magical sparks and lights. "See? The _Wind Waker_ will only react to one person like that; like the Master Sword, it has accepted you."

"W-wow..." Link was amazed, he wondered why all these old artifacts were accepting him. Was he someone special? _Could I be...? No way! There's no way! I can't be..._ then the image of Tetra being tortured flashed in his mind again. Immediately, he turned to Rashu and asked with a serious voice. "How do I change the direction of the wind? We have to get to the _Forsaken Fortress_ as soon as possible! I don't want Tetra to die!"

The awe over the new instrument died down as Link spoke. His voice was surprisingly strong, speaking as if he were one who had authority. Rashu sat down, and then picked up his staff. "Follow the motions over my staff with the baton. I'll teach you how to conduct the wind, all the other ways you will have to learn on your own through experimentation, but I'll show you this." Rashu moved his staff up, left, and then right. "Then point in the direction you desire the wind to go!"

Link followed the motions, and suddenly, the howling of the wind against the windows could be heard. He pointed towards what he thought was east. A draft in the room suddenly let in the summoned wind and blew exactly in the direction the islander had told it to. "For the strength of the wind, just think about it in your mind, the wind will obey the _Wind Waker_ and its conductor."

He would be completely overtaken by the mere amazement of the power of the _Wind Waker_ if Link's mind wasn't dwelling on Tetra. "We need to go!" he said. At that moment, they heard the door to the courtroom open. James had returned with all the adventurer's pouches, and weapons of the pirates. He took out a set of keys and freed the pirates from their chained manacles.

James looked up, and said, "I hope you know what you're doing your majesty, but here you go, the pirates equipment."

"Thank you, James," the King said. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." James then left the room. After he was gone, Daphnes looked at Link and the pirates. "Well, you know your mission now? Equip yourselves and hurry to your ship! With the wind in Link's hands you should easily be able to reach the _Forsaken Fortress_!"

-S-

They had gotten a cart for the trip back to Kakariko_ Port Town_, and found themselves on the brink of twilight when they reached the ship. While they had been walking, Link had been secretly practicing with the _Wind Waker_ to see the ways he could control the wind. Trying to make his own combinations of motions, the islander was beginning to get the hang of the baton, and realized he could control the wind in a certain area that he desired. When he learned this, he continued to practice with a small area in front of him until they reached the ship.

"Everyone! Let's get going!" Link said. It seemed like the impossible idea of being a leader had passed away from his mind. The pirates took up their usual positions. "Set the sails!" the islander said, and the pirates did so. Slowly, Rashu walked up the gangplank to join his young friend on the deck. "... I don't know if I can ever thank you enough, Rashu," he said to the moblin.

The wizard smiled. "Your mere gratitude is enough, Link." Soon, Mako and Nudge removed the gangplank from the ship, getting ready to sail.

"'hoy, Link!" Zuko called from above. "The sails are set, matey, time to provide us with some wind?" Link nodded and then he began to conduct the wind, moving the baton and his hands in fluid motions.

He wanted the wind to be strong, but not too strong as he didn't want to capsize the ship on accident. Soon, the wind began to gather strength and Link directed it west, while thinking, _hang on, Tetra. We're coming!_


	19. Chapter 18: The Darkness Unveiled

Chapter 18: The Darkness Unveiled

It was no longer the pirates' hideout; for, the _Forsaken Fortress_ had become the base for Ganondorf's operations during the past few days since Link, and the pirates were last here. Tetra was horrified when she arrived, still in chains, to see so many bokoblins, moblins, and even hylian guards that were all Soul-lesses, as the gerudo's minions.

The Fortress was literally packed with these Soul-lesses, and every searchlight was on, looking into the seas around it. Tetra wondered why the King had delivered her into the hands of who hated her most. There was no way that Ganondorf would obey the King's orders for 'mild interrogation.' The pirate captainess knew well that she was going to be completely tortured to death, whether she released the location of the _Ocarina of Time_ or not.

She suddenly felt a sharp poke from behind her, urging her to walk faster. Growling, Tetra shot a fiery glance at the Soul-less bokoblin with a spear behind her. It did not respond with any visible emotion. Tetra was being led by Ganondorf, who was being guarded by a Soul-less hylian guard in front of him, across the lower-level ramp up onto the second floor. She knew exactly where Ganondorf was heading: to the highest tower of Forsaken Fortress.

Even though she tried to remain calm, absolute terror gripped her heart and froze her body within with the cold breath of fear. She was not the type of person who could withstand intense torture treatments for long, either she would go insane because of the pain, or outright die. Either way, she could easily scream out the location of the Ocarina for a fake hope that she would be spared.

"What do you think, Miss Tetra?" said the gerudo very suddenly. His voice was very casual, and very relaxed. There was no secret as to why he was so cheerful, and smug. "How do you like the new... arrangements in your Fortress."

"You're a monster, Ganon," Tetra growled. "There's no way in Din's flames that you're going to get away with this. Once the King discovers that you're creating Soul-less then..." She stopped, as was in no position to threaten him. Even if she could break her bonds, she would have to deal with the gerudo and all the Soul-less in the Fortress to escape.

"Then what?" Ganondorf responded with mirth. "What can you do, you worthless runt? You'll be dead and I've heard that dead people don't make good witnesses," he added sarcastically with a muffled cackle.

Tetra grit her teeth together. "You're not supposed to kill me, you moron," she said, taking a risk by insulting him. "Don't you remember the King's orders? What are you going to do when the King finds out I'm dead?"

Ganondorf turned around to face Tetra and walked backwards to keep up the pace. The gerudo suddenly acted as if he were in deep sorrow. "'Oh, your majesty, _forgive me_... the pirate captainess turned on me and attacked me viciously! I fought for my life's sake, and unfortunately Miss Tetra fell out of the tower to be dashed across the rocks below into the sea. I'm _dreadfully_ sorry.'" After he finished his act, Ganon smirked at a very angry Tetra.

"There's no way out for you this time, girl. So, do take your time while breathing the fresh sea air, savor it, store it, keep it precious until you breathe your very last." He let out a evil laugh and turned around as they continued to walk up another ramp. Every step was one step closer to a painful death for Tetra, and there seemed to be absolutely no hope whatsoever. Now, she wished that had never been born at all.

-S-

Link stopped the wind immediately as soon as he saw the lit and working searchlights around the Forsaken Fortress_,_ seeking fresh prey. "Dang it!" he cursed, stamping the floor of the crow's nest. "How are we going to get past all of those?" he asked out-loud.

Zuko, who had been keeping watch next to Link as he had kept the wind up using the _Wind Waker_, said, "I dunno, matey." Both the pirate and the islander let out a sigh of despair; however, Link wasn't ready to give up so easily. Jumping up and grabbing a loose rope from the mast, the islander swung down to the deck like he had done before (except he avoided slamming into the cabin wall this time).

Dashing towards Rashu in the middle of the deck, Link made a call that could easily be heard all over the ship, "Guys! Gather at the deck! We've got a major problem!" Rashu suddenly shook himself. It seemed like the moblin wizard had been in deep thought. "Ugh, I'm sorry," the islander apologized. "Did I interrupt your meditations?"

"Yes," Rashu said as Gonzo and Senza approached them. "However, it does not bother me, Link." The moblin raised his head and scanned the Fortress. "So, this is the infamous Forsaken Fortress... The name is rather ironic considering it appears to be fairly populated." He made a sighing grunt, and then said, "our priority is save Tetra, correct? Therefore, my meditations are not important at the moment." Rashu patted Link on the shoulder, and behind them Zuko finished climbing down the ladder from the crow's nest.

Suddenly, the door to the cabin opened with Mako, Nudge, and Niko running onto the deck towards the group gathered around Link without bothering to even close the door. "What is it?" Nudge asked. Gonzo rolled his eyes and pointed at the Fortress. "Oh, the searchlights are all lit."

"Even worse," Link said. "It looks like there are a lot of people in the Fortress. So, how do we sneak in there?" He looked at the Wind Waker in his left hand and started to brainstorm of how he could make use of all the things he had.

The pirates all took a seat around Link in a circle. Rashu stepped out of the circle and watched from the outside. "What's up, captain?" Gonzo asked.

Link was suddenly jolted from thoughts when he was called 'captain.' "Huh? What? 'Captain?' I'm not a captain! What are you guys talking about?" he asked with a half-smile. The others looked like they were about to laugh, but then Link said sternly, "stop, guys! We need to focus if we want to save Tetra! So, we can't fool around!" The atmosphere was suddenly awkward for Link as he almost talking like the pirate captainess.

Ignoring it, Link spoke, he was starting to feel the need for desperate action. "Okay, we have two problems to get past," he explained. The islander pointed out the searchlights, and then to the barricade at the front of the Fortress, blocking entry to its port. "Those things, the searchlights and the barricade. We need to somehow get to the barricade, bust it down without being noticed, and sneak the ship into the port. Though, that's going to be hard because of the lights and it looks like Ganondorf has got a lot of guards there."

Things did not look good for the heroes, and Link was certain that Ganon would betray the King. Thus, he knew Tetra was in grave danger, and her life could just be thrown away in an instant. "Anyone got any bright ideas?" he asked. Unfortunately, every pirate, including Mako, shook his head. Stamping his foot on the deck floor, Link sat down with his legs crossed.

He sighed. "How about just ideas in general?" he asked. "Anything that comes to mind, maybe we could build on it or something." Inside his heart, Link was saying another prayer to the goddesses for help. They had heard him before, and now, he did not doubt they would answer him again.

"Well..." Mako began. "We do have one of the two sacred instruments in our hands." Link half-frowned, he wondered if there was a way to get in without having to resort to anything magical. "The Wind Wakercould be used to create a diversion to attract the searchlights. Then, we could sneak towards the Fortress. As for the barricade—"

"There's a problem with that," the islander said, cutting Mako short. "We now know that Ganondorf is a sorcerer, so he might be able to detect any magic being cast or whatever, in the area." Link was stumbling over his words because of the pressure he was under. Tetra's life was in dire danger, the searchlights were scanning a good amount of the sea around the Fortress, the size of the guards inside, the barricade, and the threat that Ganondorf could possibly detect the Wind Waker's presence.

"Link," Senza spoke, catching the islander's attention. "The barricade is two problems, actually. How do we take it down from the outside silently? The only method I can think of from the outside of the Fortress is to fire bombs from the cannons to bring it down, but that's too noisy."

"Also," Mako said. "I was about to ask you about the barricade. What are you trying to accomplish by bashing it down? And moving the ship into the front port? That would leave us open to enemy assaults."

"But the port is the only way in, or out, for a large ship like this, right?" Link asked rhetorically. "I can't take Tetra and swim out to the ship! We need to be able to dash on board, and then leave as soon as possible. Since I don't see a way of sneaking her out of the Fortress, we'll be running for the ship that _needs_ to be in the port, waiting for us to get on! Understand?"

The pirates nodded, and then something lit up in the islander's head. "Senza," Link said, placing his hand on chin and rubbing it thoughtfully. "You said that we can't open the barricade, except by blasting to pieces, from the outside. Does that mean...?"

"Yes," Nudge cut in after dusting off his light blue shirt. "There is a mechanism from inside the Fortress that will lower the barricade."

"Okay, so we basically have the escape plan down then," the islander said. "The idea is, we lower the barrier once we're inside without getting noticed. Then someone can move the ship in slowly to the port and ready it for when we're making a dash for it. ... this isn't a good plan, is it?" Link was never good at planning attacks ahead of time. He was a strategist that came up with clever ideas in the middle of the action.

However, the other pirates nodded their heads. "It's better than anything we can come up with, matey," Zuko said. "Remember what I told you about us before Miss Tetra came. We're a bit smarter these days now, but still... we don't have the brains for this stuff."

"Oh, come on!" Link exclaimed with incredibility in his voice. "You guys did fine at the Tournament!" He bit his lower lip. Now was not the time to bicker. "All right, fine. Let's use that as our escape plan. But how are we going to get in?"

"Oh! I have an idea!" Niko exclaimed. The other pirates rolled their eyes, but Link didn't care, he nodded at Niko. "We could scale the walls with our grapplin' hooks after we get close to the wall. Then we can climb in, knock out a few searchlights, and start lookin' fer Miss Tetra!"

"Sure, but how are we gonna get close enough to do that, genius?" Gonzo snapped at the swabbie.

"Hey, wait!" Link said, raising his hand at Gonzo. "I think Niko does have a good idea here." The pirates opened their eyes in surprise and Niko looked rather happy. "We just need to get as close as we can to the roughest walls, and the ones that will get us into the Fortress more quickly. Though, you're right about one thing, though, Gonzo, how do we get close?" The islander and about everyone else looked at the Fortress's eight searchlights. _If only we had broken them when we had been there last,_ Link thought.

"We could use bombs," Zuko suggested. "They'd cause an explosion in the sea! That's pretty distracting!" The other pirates nodded fervently at Zuko's idea with approval. However, Link shook his head.

"No, we can't!" the islander protested. "That won't work, they'll just follow the direction of where the bomb came from!" he explained. Link sighed deeply. They were so close to laying out a good plan of sneaking into the Fortress to save Tetra, yet with every second, their chances of saving her shortened. He looked at the Wind Waker in his left hand, and thought, _will I really need to resort to this?_

"Then what shall we we do, Link?" Mako asked. "You are practically the commanding officer right now. We do not have time to discuss that," he added, as Link was about to protest his supposed position on the ship. "It is essential that we act quickly or Miss Tetra's life will be destroyed. So, what do you recommend we do in order to get closer to the Fortress?"

The islander gave in. "We'll use the Wind Waker to create a distraction," he said hesitantly. "I'll... use it to create a... storm or something. Though I'm not sure how to make something with the Wind Waker really distracting."

"Make a cyclone, Link," Rashu said from behind. Everyone turned to look at the wise moblin wizard who was leaning on his staff. "Make a cyclone and have it attack the Fortress. During that, you can use some of the wind to direct this ship to the Fortress walls where all of you can use your rope and hooks to climb into the Fortress.

"That sounds great, except wouldn't Ganon notice the magical powers?" Link asked. He hadn't thought of a powerful storm, enough to cause some panic in the Fortress. Such a storm would definitely catch the eyes of all the searchlights. "And wouldn't he be suspicious of a sudden storm appearing out of nowhere?"

"Well, my boy," Rashu said calmly. "You cannot make a storm out of nowhere. You must gather the winds from the four corners of the earth, or wherever you can," he explained. "And then have these winds create a massive funnel, enough to cause a forceful disturbance upon the seas and then direct it at the Fortress." The moblin raised a finger. "Now... Link, you must remember, that the Wind Waker is an _artifact_, not a petty magic wand. Its powers may be even too strong for Ganondorf to detect." Link frowned, he had wished that Rashu had said that earlier.

"Hey! That is quite a good idea, especially since were close to the _Dead Seas_!" Nudge exclaimed. "We might be able to trick the old gerudo into thinking it was a storm coming from that area."

"The Dead Seas?" Link asked. He had never heard of such a place in his life. "What are those?"

Nudge cleared his throat as usual before speaking. "Well, Link, the Dead Seas are to the west of here. They are called such because of the many number of ships during the Hero of Time's age that traveled through that part of the ocean. None of them ever returned, except one. The description was a 'graveyard of ships.' Apparently, there are also massive cyclones and, even rumored, hurricanes that project themselves in mass in the Dead Seas_._ Ships are torn asunder over there, never to return."

Link's jaw opened in shock. What a horrible place that was; he hoped he never had to go there or deal with the storms if they were that powerful. Shaking himself from the thought, the islander asked, "so, if I make this storm appear from the west, then the people might think it's a wayward storm coming from the west? From the Dead Seas that is."

"Yes," Rashu replied for the pirates. "Even so, we'll need wind from the south and the east to drive us towards our goal," he cautioned.

"So... how do I make this storm with the Wind Waker?" the islander asked the wizard.

"Despite the fact that our time is limited... I cannot tell you, Link," Rashu responded with a deep sigh. All the pirates and the islander shared the same expression and they groaned when they heard those words. It was up to him, Link, to figure out how to command the winds to create the storm they needed, and fast to save Tetra.

Taking the Wind Waker in his left hand, Link began to conduct the wind, thinking about what a large cyclone would look like. He directed the baton towards the west seas and focused on gathering the wind from that corner of the earth. The wind started to pick up and spiral to a small area as directed by Link. Faster than he had expected it, the wind had driven itself into the water and created spinning pool!

_But that's only a whirlpool, _he thought. _Like the one I got caught in._ He needed something bigger, something more powerful to create the distraction they needed. Link raised the baton into the air and swirled it firmly, yet gently above him. _Bingo!_ Within mere seconds, the whirlpool had transformed into this great funnel of violent air and water mixed together. Already, the searchlights were scanning the storm, and with a slight gesture of his right hand, the cyclone slammed into the far side of the Fortress.

He was so absorbed in ramming the Fortress that the islander didn't hear Gonzo call him the first time. "Link! We need to get to the wall, matey!" The islander snapped back into reality without breaking the cyclone. He had almost forgotten to move the ship to the other wall of the Fortress. With a flick of the Wind Waker, Link caused some of the cyclonic wind to push the ship gently towards the wall until the hull bumped into the stone.

Link smiled. "Check it out guys!" he pointed with his free hand. The wall that he had pushed the ship to was extremely rough with plenty of cliff-holds and edges for grappling and climbing. "You guys go ahead. I'll keep the storm going for a bit and then climb up myself," the islander told them. He turned to Rashu and asked, "can you pilot the ship into the port after we have the barricade down?"

"Yes," the moblin wizard replied. "It shouldn't be difficult once you're in and the searchlights are down." A smile spread across his face. "Well done, Link. Well done. Your grandmother would be proud of you."

Link smiled back, but then blinked at Rashu. "Yeah, I hope so, too."

-S-

Tetra and Ganondorf were in the mid-way through the first tower when the loud banging against the walls occurred. She wondered what was causing the disturbance as she glanced down on the stone staircase that ascended from the bottom all the way to the top. The tower was an ancient prison of somesort that the pirates had used to securely lock their money and spoils away.

Ganondorf spun around and growled. "What was that!?" he said to the Soul-lesses. The bokoblin and the hylian guard both shrugged. He pointed to the bokoblin and said, "Go find out!" The Soul-less saluted him and ran off. After a few moments, the gerudo shot an angry glare at Tetra.

"What?"

"Just what are you up to, Tetra?" he demanded.

"Being captured and put in manacles, moron," she snapped back. Ganondorf twitched at the insult. "Do you _really_ think I'm not as clueless as you about what the heck that was?" She frowned, still struggling with her arms to try and break free. _Have the boys and Link come to rescue me?_ she thought hopefully. _But what could they possibly use to cause such a blast on the Fortress?_

"Watch her," Ganondorf said to the hylian guard. The soldier merely nodded quietly and walked around the gerudo to get behind Tetra. The pirate captainess grimaced, wishing that by merely talking to him, the guard's soul would be set free; but she knew it was not case.

_Ram, ram, ram!_ The tower kept shaking as the fortress was continually slammed by some outside force. _Is it magic? Is it bombs?_ Tetra didn't have any ideas of what could be causing such a ruckus. Even well-made and well-timed bombs didn't make this amount of noise and powerful vibrations. None that she knew, besides Ganondorf and possibly Rashu, would be able to create such magical strength.

"Get going!" Ganondorf snapped at her. Immediately, the hylian guard poked her in the back with his spear. Again, Tetra was forced to move forward, but at a faster rate, however.

This is not a welcome change for Tetra. She did not know what instruments were held at the very top of the second tower that Ganondorf would use on her. _Guys... _ she thought, hoping it was her boys and Link causing the disruption. _Hurry... please!_

-S-

A sudden twinge inside Link's body seem to loosen him from his trance. He had gotten too lost making the cyclone. Now, it was gigantic, mashing itself against the walls of the Forsaken Fortress. Immediately, out of fear for the lives of the pirates' and Tetra's, he stopped conducting, but the storm remained.

"Link!" Rashu said from behind him. The islander jumped when the moblin had to raise his voice over the noise of the roaring torrents to speak to him. "You best hurry and climb the the wall. The others are already inside and look!" He pointed towards the searchlights; already two of them had been taken out.

"I see it, Rashu!" Link responded. Then he looked out the sea at the huge cyclone. "How long will the storm last?" he asked as he put the Wind Waker away into his pouch and pulled out his grappling hook. The islander dashed up to the wall and began to swing the hook in his left hand.

"For awhile," The moblin said. "Hopefully, not longer than we need it to." Link turned his head and nodded at Rashu before turning around again and throwing his grappling hook up on the wall. As his hook caught a ledge, Link began to climb up the wall; he barely heard Rashu say "good luck, young one!" over the loud noise of the storm.

-S-

Link's hook finally grasped a ledge in a small, open window near the top of the fortress. He had been throwing and climbing for several minutes now, looking for a way in. He was grateful to finally find a way to slip into the Forsaken Fortress. Pulling himself up, Link squeezed through the window and landed on the floor with a loud _Thump!_

The islander, wincing from pain, dragged his body from the ground and looked around franticly for guards, monsters, or whatever Ganondorf had filled the Fortress with. Yet no one was around. After waiting for five minutes, the islander breathed in with relief that none had come to get him; however, it took a few seconds for Link to figure out why.

Steel bars blocked his path in this small, dingy room with a rat hole in the corner and a dirty bed with torn sheets in the other corner. He had climbed himself into a prison cell—an old prison cell. _Oh great. How many of these things are there in here?_ he asked himself, remembering the time Tetra had put him in a cell for fun.

Link felt the heavy weight of frustration on his back, and he was about to panic when he felt a sudden warmth in his chest, relaxing him a little. _That's right, don't panic, you can find a way out of this cell._ The islander looked around and stepped towards the bars and saw a door inbetween them. Hunching over, Link pulled out Orca's sword from his pouch and tried to break the lock, but unfortunately the lock was melded in with the door.

_There's no way I can get out through the door without the key._ Frustrated, Link put Orca's sword away into the pouch and started to rummage around the prison cell for another means of escape. Several minutes passed by as he searched endlessly throughout the room. Finally, he stepped up on the wooden, rotting table, drew the _Master Sword_ and sliced at all the pots in the room to vent his frustration.

Then, he noticed something in the wall when he had crashed all the pots onto the ground; it was a rough hole in the wall just above the wooden shelves. After sheathing his sword (the Master Sword, that is), Link immediately jumped up onto the shelves and looked through the hole. Luckily enough for him, there was a roughly-made tunnel, and the islander found that he could slip easily into the hole and crawl through the tunnel. He hoped that this would lead him into the inner parts of the Fortress and rescue Tetra.

_I wonder how the other guys are doing?_ Link thought. _I hope they didn't get caught._ Finally, after a few curved, and uncomfortable turns through the tunnel, the islander saw the light of a distant lantern hanging by a coarse rope. _That looks familiar_. As he reached the end of the tunnel, he scouted what was in front of him before crawling out.

Link found himself to be crawling out of a tunnel on the second floor. Looking down, he saw two dark-skinned moblins armed with spears and ragged leather armor. _Soul-lesses..._ He looked down towards the door, and to his horror, the islander saw two dark-skinned hylian guards on either side. _No way! He didn't! That...! The King is going to have Ganondorf killed for all this!_

Even so, the islander was infuriated that a man would do such horrible things to other human beings. He wanted to save them, but there were too many of them for Link to handle on his own; otherwise, he would be captured. The islander needed to keep a low-profile until he found out where Ganondorf had taken Tetra.

Crawling carefully onto the floor out of the hole, Link jumped and grabbed the lantern's rope to swing across the gap and land on the other side without being noticed. In front of him was a wooden door. _Careful... I got to open this as quietly as I can,_ the islander told himself. He slipped by, took hold of the knob and slowly opened the door. It made a loud, unsettling screeching noise as it opened, startling Link into drawing his sword again; he was afraid that he was going to get ambushed.

However, after a few moments, nothing happened. There was no sound of movement except the curious grunts of the Soul-less moblins below. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and the whole body of the Fortress, it seemed, shuddered. _Is the cyclone still going?_ The islander was amazed, and Rashu had been right, the Wind Waker was indeed more than a petty wand. The baton lived up to its name and then to its place as a sacred artifact.

Daring a glance outside the door, Link saw that the door led outside into an open-air corridor with a closed door at the end of it. No one was there, and it seemed completely silent. Unless there was some trap prepared, the islander was not in any danger at all.

Not bothering to close the door as it would just make more noise, Link ran out onto the corridor and looked around. The islander noticed two ramps heading upwards on either side of him. Taking the one to the left, Link drew his sword and moved quietly up the stone ramp, pressing his body against the wall like he had done before.

At the edge of the ramp, Link peeked over it to see a lit searchlight, controlled by a Soul-less hylian guard, who was still scanning the seas. It seemed like the cyclone was beginning to die down, but the storm was still a distraction to the rest of the Fortress.

From where he was, Link couldn't tell if anything was being done about the storm by Ganon's minions. He did see; however, to his joy, that the barricade was now down and the pirates' ship had slowly "drifted" into port without notice.

Quietly, the islander continued to climb up the ramp and sneaked up behind the guard. Suddenly, he heard a gruff voice say, "I see you, boy! Don't think you snuck up on me!" Then, the Soul-less turned around and tried to impale Link with his spear. Instinctively, Link rolled forward to dodge the spear and then stabbed the guard right through the middle with his sword. He was looking into the Soul-less's eyes for a few seconds before he vanished in a puff of dark-purple smoke, dropping a Soul orb onto the ground.

Picking up the orb and putting it into his pouch, Link thought about the guard he had just killed. His face was familiar, but the islander could not put his finger on it. Shrugging to himself, Link turned around and gasped to see that three other searchlights were still on. _What happened!? Did the guys get captured? _he wondered.

Regardless, he still had a job to do. While the other searchlights were still busy with the dying storm, Link, remembering Tetra's instructions, pressed the button closest to him to turn the light off. _I'm not done yet!_ Then, he jumped down from the platform and went around to face the dark mirror of the searchlight. Taking his sword in hand, Link made no noise as he stabbed the mirror right through the center, cracking it open, and breaking the device.

Avoiding the shards of glass, Link drew the sword out of the searchlight. He looked around, trying to see if he could spot Tetra. His eyes caught something or someone moving on the peak of the first tower and heading across the walkway to the main tower. There, from a glow of the moonlight, he saw yellow hair on a short person in the middle of a single file line.

"Tetra!" Link said out-loud as if trying to call for her, but he knew she wouldn't hear him._ The other ramp... maybe it leads to the tower! _Quickly, Link ran down the ramp back into the open-air corridor and then onto the ramp on the right side. He checked the area around, and sure enough, the ramp climbed up to and into the first tower. The islander didn't waste any time in following that path, sprinting forward, Link hoped to catch up to Tetra in time.

-S-

"So that's what it was."

Ganondorf had stopped to view the tempest down below, bashing against the walls of the Forsaken Fortress. Tetra stared at the giant, yet dying cyclone in awe. _Who could have possibly made that?_ Tetra thought._ It seems too convenient to be a normal storm from the Dead Seas._ Yet Tetra could not believe that either the pirates, nor Link could have created such a cyclone.

"... It's too powerful," Ganondorf said. "At least it was at the time, too powerful for anything Rashu could make." He removed his hand from his chin and sighed. "It suits well for a storm portending to be from the Dead Seas, but it's too convenient." He eyed Tetra again, and she knew only as much as he did. "Oh well, it's not going to stop my plans."

Suddenly, Ganondorf grabbed Tetra by the arm and dragged her up the stairs. "I can _walk _you know!" she said with a violent growl. She glanced at his face and saw a most evil grin on his face.

"Precious time is being wasted, Miss Tetra," he replied, continuing to drag the struggling pirate girl up to the top of the tower. "And that Ocarina that you stole. Tsk. Tsk. It needs to be found quickly."

Tetra snorted. "You only want the _Triforce _for yourself! You're not doing this for the King!" she nearly spat at him. Before she knew it, they were at the large front doors that led into the top room of the main tower, flanked by two Soul-less bokoblins.

Ganondorf let out a wicked laugh. "I know I'm only after the Triforce. Why would I really care about that bloated lord's power or influence on me? He's not worthy to have all the power for himself." He pointed forward and commanded the bokoblins saying, "open the door!"

The two Soul-less nodded, and one of them pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Immediately, Tetra was almost thrown into the room, and Ganondorf had the door closed behind them. Tetra pulled herself off the ground and dared a look around the area; she had never been in this room before because she never had the need to use it.

To her shock, there were no _normal_ instruments of torture. Instead, she saw needles, vials of colored liquid substance, of which Tetra could not name, lined across a small shelf underneath the open windows of the tower, and strange metal finger gloves. There was a high bench in the middle of the room, and the pirate girl knew all too well what was going to be on there. She stood up and ran for the window, but suddenly fell down onto the floor as her chains were held down.

"Now, now," Ganondorf said with a malevolent voice. "You can't run, Tetra. We have to begin the interrogations." Tetra turned her head to glare at the gerudo. She was angry, afraid, and desperate to escape. The gerudo removed from the long dark sleeve of his robe his right hand and beckoned her to come back. When she shook her head, Ganondorf lunged for her, grabbed Tetra by the throat and then unlocked her manacles, setting her free from the chains.

However, before Tetra could try to slip out of Ganondorf's hand, the gerudo threw her onto the bench and tied her hands together above Tetra's head while binding her waist and feet with strong leather to the bench. One of the Soul-less approached with what Tetra thought to be a leather strap for gaging, but the gerudo stopped him.

"No," he said rather darkly. "I'd prefer to hear her scream instead."

Tetra began to sweat. "You sick bastard! Y-you're not g-going to g-get away with this," she stammered. "You will be stopped sooner or later!" Struggling helplessly against her bonds, the pirate girl shot the most loathing of all glares. "I swear..." she started to say.

"What?" Ganondorf interrupted. "You swear what?" the gerudo sneered at her. "You're not in a position to do anything, little girl." From what she could see, he rolled up his sleeves a little and began to search the area for (most likely) the instruments he was going to use on Tetra for the 'interrogation.'

Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door. Ganondorf looked up and wiped his hand over the jewel in his forehead. "What is it?" he called out. The Soul-less in the room unlocked the door and opened it to reveal several figures standing in the doorway. Tetra craned her neck to see, but she couldn't make out the figures into the shadows.

That is, until they walked in. "Gonzo! Senza! Boys, what are you doing here!?" she exclaimed. Each of the pirates were chained by manacles and all six of them were there, flanked by several Soul-less from what Tetra could tell.

"Miss...!" Senza was about to speak up when Ganondorf yelled at him.

"Silence!" After a quiet pause, the gerudo broke it with a dark chuckle. "Chain them to the wall, so they can watch the torture of their precious leader." Tetra was fuming and wished she could kick the gerudo between the legs. She could do nothing as she watched Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Zuko, Mako, and Niko being chained to the wall where they could see her completely.

"So... you did come..." Tetra said to them, who looked like they wanted to say something, but kept their mouths shut.

"If you find the boy," Ganondorf said, startling Tetra. "Bring him here, too. I know he would love to see and hear this." The Soul-less nodded and marched out of the room, closing and locking the door behind them, leaving two other Soul-less (a hylian guard and bokoblin) to flank the door.

"Boys! Where's Link!?" Tetra asked them loudly. If Link was still free, he was their only hope of escape, and her only hope of rescue from her grim fate. The pirates looked at Tetra, but said nothing. She heard Ganondorf chuckle from behind her.

"Hiding his whereabouts I see? No matter, he'll be found sooner or later." There was the sound of moving metal and glass from behind Tetra, but she couldn't see what the gerudo was doing. Finally, she felt his breath close to her, and he said, "Let the fun begin."


	20. Chapter 19: Return to Outset

Chapter 19: Return to Outset

Finally, he came into view, and Tetra's worst fears were realized as she saw the vile gerudo with metal fingers with long needles on each finger-tip onto his hands. _No,_ she pleaded within. _Not needle fingers! Please no!_ She squirmed, and struggled against her bindings while on the bench. It was hopeless, she knew she was going to be tortured to death. The needles had so many uses, inducing shock, administering poison and chemicals that could affect the body and brain, ripping skin off the layers of a person's flesh, and more.

Then Ganondorf approached her and lifted her vest up a little. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You pervert! Don't touch me!" The gerudo didn't respond, and suddenly he stabbed Tetra in her left side with the needle fingers. She let out a shriek of utter pain, and over her heavy breathing, she heard the gerudo chuckle. "You are so..."

"You're in no position to threaten me, Tetra," the gerudo said darkly. "Now, where is the _Ocarina of Time_?" He demanded, ready to use the needles again. When she didn't speak, Ganondorf thrusted them deep into her side.

She screamed loudly, and shouted, "I won't tell! Dang you!" she was bleeding from small pinpoint holes from her left side. She couldn't release the where the Ocarina was, or it would fall into Ganon's hands. He stabbed her again, and again, and again. The pain kept increasing and Tetra wondered if he had started using the chemicals in the vials yet.

With every stab she tried to hold her tongue. But she hated needles, and could not stand intense torture like this. "Hmm..." Ganondorf hummed. "Do I need to use the chemicals, Tetra? You know what they do, don't you?" He chuckled wickedly, turning around to look at the vials.

"P-poison?" Tetra wanted to pull her vest down, and something to stop the bleeding in her side, but there was nothing she could do.

Ganondorf laughed. "No, no, no. I can't poison you. That's no fun," he explained. Tetra swallowed and tried to struggle again, but the pain on her left side was too much for her strength to handle. "These chemicals... will just increase the size of your wounds once injected, and some other of these will make the needles feel like ten daggers being stabbed into you all the way through your side with serrated blades. Finally, there is some here that will send shockwaves through your body. Causing every frame of it to rattle with pain. Should I use these or are you going to tell me where the Ocarina is?"

The description of the chemicals already caused Tetra to shake with fear. She could not tell him the location, but the fluids in the vials were completely diabolical. _Who on Hyrule would ever make such horrible things?_ Now, she was torn between telling the truth or resisting. But how much longer could she resist? She dared a glance at Ganondorf, who had turned around again to look at her with one hand holding a vial of orange liquid.

"Well?" the gerudo asked. He walked over and stabbed Tetra again. "Must I use what's in the vials, Tetra? Or will you tell me where the Ocarina is hidden!"

"It..." she started. "It doesn't... matter. You'll kill me anyway."

"Ah, but you can choose the way you die by confessing where it is," Ganondorf said with another dark chuckle. Tetra glared at him, and said nothing. That only led to being stabbed twice by both the gerudo's hands. "... sometimes I am a patient man, Tetra. Other times I am not. Guess which one I feel like today?"

"I don't need to guess," she said, gasping inbetween breaths.

"Painful and slow death, or a quick and easy death. Those are your choices, Tetra." He raised the needle fingers up above her. "Choose now!" he commanded with a loud, growling voice.

Before Tetra could react, she heard Gonzo cry out, "It's under the Fortress! Under the sea! Let 'er go, darned sea-dog!" If she were free, the pirate captainess would have slapped him hard across the cheek. However, she knew his intentions were only to save her from a painful death.

Ganondorf moved back a little, and turned around. Tetra looked over and saw to her horror that he was opening the vials. A vile stench came floating out as soon as the corks were removed. Even without being stabbed she felt sick already. "I'm quite surprised, you want her to live, do you? Then tell me, where under the sea?" he asked calmly.

"There's this rock that's shaped like-"

"Gonzo, no!" Tetra screeched. "Don't tell him!" Gonzo looked at her with a hopeless face. She knew that he was just trying to save her life. Again, he was being overprotective and pushy, but she couldn't blame him for it. Without her, the band of pirates were really nothing, and for all these years, they felt a little more like a family rather just a group of knaves.

"I see someone is picking the more painful path of death," Ganon remarked indifferently. "I didn't know you were a masochist, Miss Tetra. My, my," he chuckled. "You learn something new every day. Isn't that the case?" He dipped one of the needles into the orange liquid. "Well, I'm sure that quite a few will learn how much of a waste you are very soon."

"I hate you!" Tetra growled. _Please help!_ she thought, pouring out her silent prayers to the heavens. _Don't let me die yet! Not in this filthy man's hands!_

As if to answer her prayer, there was a loud _thud_ against the door. Tetra bolted her head upright to look at it. "What's going on?" Ganondorf asked. "Did someone catch the boy?" The pirate captainess sighed in despair, hoping that it was Link who was beating on the door and not a Soul-less holding him down.

Another loud _thud_ hit the door, and finally with a loud crack the door broke down. A large Soul-less bokoblin crashed into the room and then died in a puff of purple smoke. As the dust from the broken door began to settle, Tetra saw a bright pair of green eyes and the blade of a sword in the dark night light. Suddenly, the figure ran in, only to be blocked the crossed weapons of the two Soul-less flanking the door.

"Get out of my way!" Link cried as he chopped the spears in half with the _Master Sword_. With a single motion, he stabbed the hylian guard in the stomach and pounded the head of the bokoblin with his shield with such force that everyone could hear the loud crack of the creature's skull being broken. Both were dead within a single second and soon the hero was dashing into the room with sword and a face without fear at all.

"STOP!" Ganondorf bellowed. He raised his right hand over Tetra. The needle fingers were coated with the orange liquid. "Stop now, boy, or I'll rake her to ribbons," he threatened while flexing the fingers.

"Aw, just beat the crap outta him!" Tetra shouted at Link. She hated hostage situations and knew there was no way that the gerudo could kill her before the young hero could kill him. However, to her shock, Link dropped the Master Sword to the ground. "What!"

"That's a good boy, Link." Ganondorf said coolly. However, Link then grabbed the bow off his back, nocked an arrow, and fired it right through the gerudo's right hand. Immediately, as he let out a cry of pain, the needle fingers scattered out of his hand and fell towards Tetra.

She closed her eyes and braced herself in preparation for a bundle of stabs when nothing happened. Opening her eyes, Tetra saw the last needle finger just roll off her body harmlessly on the ground. She heard Link laugh and she looked over to see him pick up the Master Sword and his bow strapped onto his back again.

"What?" he asked. "Did you think I was giving up? My hands were just full. That's all!" He got ready to jump strike Ganon with the sword when the gerudo raised his left hand to rake Tetra. None of the needle fingers on his left hand were coated, but they were still lethal. "Oh, I see... that's how it is. Well..." Link kicked the floor, sheathed the sword, and smiled innocently, too innocently in fact.

"What are you up to?" Ganondorf growled. "You know I can kill your precious Tetra with a single stab." Even though the pirate captainess was certain Ganon had the upper-hand, in reality, his voice was quivering slightly. Was it from the pain from the arrow in his right hand or was he actually afraid of Link?

"Hey, Ganon," Link said. The gerudo grimaced angrily at hearing the young hero called him by his alias. "Do you ever like to play..." Suddenly with wicked pleasure on Link's face, he pulled out a bomb, lit it, and threw at Ganondorf saying, "catch!" The bomb fell into the gerudo's fumbling hands (having an arrow in his right hand made it fairly hard to catch it), who stumbled to the window to throw the bomb out to sea for his safety.

In the meantime, Link drew the Master Sword, jumped over to Tetra and carefully cut the leather binds on her hands and feet, freeing them immediately. She smiled with appreciation towards the young hero as he pulled her vest down modestly and then cut the bindings around her waist. He looked at her with a worried face. "Tetra, your side is bleeding!"

"I'll be fine, Link... thank you," she said slowly. She almost raised her arms to wrap them around him, but then she heard a loud explosion and Ganondorf growling in anger. "Quick! Get the key from the Soul-less that died! It was the hylian one!" she grabbed her side in pain, and Link stopped. "Just go! I'll be fine!"

"Not without you!" the islander stated as he grabbed her left hand with his right. The two of them ran over to the pirates chained to the wall. Not letting go, Link picked the fallen silver key off the floor. Tetra saw him look up and she followed the route of his eyes. The locks to the chains that held to the pirates to the wall were far too high for either Tetra or Link to reach.

"Crap, that's no good," he said. The young hero looked over and saw Ganondorf coming towards them. "Uh oh." Link searched his pouch and pulled out another bomb. "No, no, that's not how you play catch, Ganon!" he said, lighting the bomb, and throwing it into the gerudo's hands. This time, Link had shortened the fuse because he was expecting the gerudo to throw the bomb back at him.

And just as he thought, Ganondorf attempted to throw the bomb back. But he was too slow, and the bomb exploded in his face, sending him flying into the core of the tower and out the window!

"That takes care of that!" Link said.

"Don't joke around, he'll be back. Hurry! We can easily reach the locks if you hold me up, Link, and give me the key," Tetra said to him. She glanced at him and saw the look on his face. "What? Don't worry about my wounds! Just hold me up by my feet and I should be able to free the boys—what are you doing?" she asked when Link started rummaging through his adventurer's pouch.

Suddenly, he pulled out a small, curved dagger and another adventurer's pouch. "Getting your stuff out and giving it to you. That's what!" he explained with a grin. He handed over the items to her and she took them with a grateful smile on her face.

"Thanks," Tetra said. "Hang on." She searched using her hand for something in her own pouch and pulled out a bottle filled with red liquid. Unstopping the bottle, the pirate girl lifted the lid to her lips and drank the whole thing in one gulp. She gasped, releasing coiled red smoke from her mouth, and said, "there. That should stop the bleeding. Now, hold me up there, Link!"

With a smile, he nodded, and picked Tetra up. Link raised her up until she was standing on his shoulders. In an incredible act of balance, the pirate girl unlocked the main lock with the key, freeing all the pirates from their manacles.

Busting loose, the pirates immediately took their weapons that had been taken by the guards and grabbed the soul orbs off the ground. As soon as they were free, the pirates made a break for the port with Tetra and Link in tow out of the tower and down the steps.

-S-

Grasping onto the ledge of the window with his left hand, Ganondorf thrust himself back into the tower with a single pull. He pulled the arrow out of his hand and wrapped his bleeding hand in a cloth. "Darn child!" he cursed, tying a knot in the cloth. "I cannot believe I'm being outwitted by little brats!" Grabbing a nearby hand-crossbow, he took the bolt and dipped it into a vial of dark green liquid. "That boy will die... slowly, and painfully." The gerudo king got up, starting ringing a bell loudly and then raced after the fleeing renegades.

-S-

They rushed down the stairs as fast as they could. Already, Tetra and Link could hear Ganondorf sounding the alarm and above them. Soon they exited the tower and reached an open area that went down the main ramp towards the large port. The Soul-lesses, moblin, bokoblin, and hylian alike began to gather quickly to re-capture the gang from all sides.

"Now what do we do?" Niko asked. There was a definite tone of fear in his voice.

"What!" Tetra exclaimed. "Are you dense! We're going to fight out way out!" She pulled out her curved dagger and grit her teeth.

"All of them!" Niko's eyes went wide with terror.

"No, ya idiot!" Gonzo growled, smacking the swabbie across the head. "We're goin' ta plow through to the port!"

"Right!" Link said, drawing the Master Sword. He dashed forward and said loudly, "let's go! Hiya!" Jumping into the air, he took the sword and thrust it through the chest of a moblin. The blow was lethal and the creature disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving only a soul orb behind on the stony ramp. "Come on!" Link shouted as he picked up the orb quickly and pocketed it.

The Soul-lesses assembled from all sides, trying to block off the exit for the pirates. A group of them jumped down to pin Tetra and the others to the group, but Senza got in the way and grappled a whole group of bokoblins and hylians. With a swift strike, he knocked all of them out in one blow. Both Tetra and Link wondered how he got captured if he could do that.

A moblin stepped between the pirates and Link on the ramp. The islander was ready to jump back to assist when Tetra slid underneath the moblin's legs, kicked it in the groin and then tossed it aside into the water. "Move, boys, move!" she said to the pirates who were fighting off a Soul-less or two that had attempted to capture them.

Gonzo knocked out several bokoblins while Zuko and Nudge gave a moblin a good pummeling. Mako gave a hylian guard a shock when he slammed a large textbook in the guard's face, sending it to the ground. Immediately, Mako grabbed Niko's arm and dragged him towards Tetra and Link. As soon as their obstacles were removed, the rest of the pirates headed towards the port with Tetra in the lead.

Link, however, flattened himself against the wall and let the pirates pass. He drew his bow and tied a bomb to the end of one arrow.

"Just... what are you...?" Tetra began to ask after breaking through her pirates to reach the young hero. Suddenly, she was interrupted with a loud bang. Link had fired a bomb-arrow at a weakened pillar and the explosion caused it to fall onto the ramp in front of the Soul-less. "Link..." Tetra was impressed, she would not have thought of that on the fly.

"What?" Link looked at her and their eyes locked for a second. He felt himself blush. _Why does it have to be now?_ Suddenly, there was bellowing roar from above. Both Tetra and Link looked up to see Ganondorf rushing down the stairs with a hand-crossbow in his wounded right hand. Link looked back to Tetra and said, "let's go!"

Even though Link had fallen the pillar, it had only slowed the Soul-less and their enslaving master down, not blocked the path entirely. Without hesitation, Link and Tetra ran towards the pirates's ship where the group was beckoning them to come aboard quickly. Link noticed Tetra turn her head around to look back. Taking a glance himself, he saw that Ganondorf was upon them and was aiming for him with his hand-crossbow.

"Look out, Link!" Tetra cried out. Ganondorf fired the crossbow, and as if without second thoughts, Tetra pushed Link aside towards the ship. She gasped as the needle struck her in the back of the neck and stumbled forward.

"Tetra!" Link ran over and steadied her with his arms. "Are you-?" he started.

"Don't worry about me, now, kid! Just get on!"

"Not without you!" he said again.

"Why did you get in the way, girl!" Ganondorf bellowed. That was their cue to leave and to stop arguing. With haste, Link helped Tetra run onto the gangplank and across it to reach the other side. As soon as they had crossed over, Gonzo kicked the gangplank aside, not bothering to pull it in, and into the sea. Link began to conduct the wind and gave the pirates the power they needed to move out of the port and escape the fortress. Within minutes, they were already sailing away from the cursed place, which had once been their home.

-S-

"Let them go," Ganondorf said heatedly to his men. "Search for the Ocarina! It should be underneath the fortress, in the sea under a certain rock. Get searching, now!" he ordered. He was in a terrible mood, not only had he been outwitted, but Link had escaped unscathed. The only consolation to his loss was the fact that Tetra had taken the needle's blow. It would take awhile, but soon, he would have one less enemy on his back. Unfortunately, Link had become a new enemy, one who could easily replace Tetra.

Now he had to wait, wait to see if his worthless minions could find the Ocarina of Time, that is, if the pirate had been blurting out the truth. _Well, I will find out shortly if he was lying or not._

With a swift motion of his cloak, Ganondorf turned around and walked back to the ramps that led to the tower. He looked at the pillar that the boy had knocked over earlier with a bomb tied to one of his arrows. _Clever... and annoying!_ He thought, slamming his foot into the pillar, and creating a small crater in its side. _Hmph... if I had real power, that stamp would have demolished the pillar into pieces!_

The gerudo looked up; there was a sudden, unexpected change in the direction of the wind. How was that possible? Only a powerful sorcerer or someone with a certain artifact could change the direction of the wind so easily. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he thought that he sensed something mystical now that he focused on it.

-S-

Meanwhile...

"Ow!"

"Please hold still, Miss Tetra," Rashu asked calmly with some strange, thin and small grip-like object in his hand. Link was watching him try to pull out the needle in the back of Tetra's neck, but she wasn't being very cooperative. "Don't scratch it!" he said, as soon as she had reached for the needle.

"I was going to pull it out, actually," she said irritatedly. "But it does itch!"

Link, himself, was growing irritated, too. "Come on, Tetra," he said. His arms were folded with the _Wind Waker_ dangling in his left hand. "Just let him pull it out gently." Tetra glared at Link and stuck her tongue out.

_After all this time being separated, and saving her life twice, I get _this_ type of treatment? Sheesh._ He was not impressed with Tetra's maturity. She was acting like a child, which was unusual for her. Finally, Tetra complied and with some painful winces and groans, she was finally free of the needle that had hung in her neck for so long.

In his old robes, the elderly moblin stood up with the needle in his fingers. "I'm going to go examine this. It could be poison." He left for the cabin, leaving Tetra and Link alone with the pirates (who were in a circle around the two). The islander looked at her worriedly.

"Wait! Poison!" he exclaimed.

"Well, what do you think it was?" Tetra snorted. "A small thing like that can't kill, there was definitely something coated on it." She rubbed the back of her neck and added eerily, "I could feel it." The pirates and the islander both gave Tetra a shocked glance. "It's probably nothing I can't handle though. I've been poisoned many times before, right, boys? I think I'm immune to it by now."

"But there are a lot of different poisons aren't there?" Link asked, still not convinced of Tetra's health.

The pirate captainess smirked. "Yes, but Ganon was aiming for _you,_ kid. He was probably using any old poison that I'm used to. That's why I pushed you out of the way."

"Oh." That stung; Link had hoped that she had pushed him out of the way because she cared, not necessarily because she could handle the poison better than he could. The other pirates looked eager to speak with their leader who they had been just reunited with. Link tiredly sat down, still feeling the sting of her remark. 

Tetra looked around at the group and smiled. "It's good to see you all healthy, and well, I'll say."

"Same to you, miss! We were thinkin' you were a goner!" Gonzo exclaimed. Then there was a sudden rush that Link didn't expect, each pirate ran up and hugged Tetra. She was furiously red in the face when she told them to knock it off, causing them to sit back down in a circle around her.

"Sorry, we jus—" Senza started, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"No, no. No worries," she said. "It's probably difficult to lose your captain who you've had for around four years." She sat down, cross-legged. "So... just why did you guys come for me when they had you bound? And further more, why did the King let me fall into that filthy man's hands?" she asked, her voice raising slowly to anger.

Gonzo and the others exchanged looks, and then they all stared at Link. "What? Me?" he asked. They nodded, and Link let out a sigh. "Okay, here's how it went: the King put you in Ganondorf's hands because he wanted to see if Ganon was still loyal to him or not... I don't remember why," he added, rubbing his chin.

"It was the soul orb that tipped him off," Mako interjected.

"Thanks, yeah, the soul orb was what caused him to be suspicious of Ganon," Link continued to explain. He had gotten used to calling the gerudo by his alias ever since the trial. "That's because the King knew that he's a dark sorcerer, and said it was possible that Ganon could create soul-lesses. So, he released the pirates and sent me and them on a mission to rescue you and spy on Ganon."

"And it sure looks like..." Zuko began with a grin on his face. "... that we have all the evidence we need, mateys. He's definitely tryin' to backstab the King!"

"I see..." Tetra did not look pleased. Link figured she was still angry about the fact that she had tossed into Ganondorf's hands like a helpless rag doll. "Hmph. The King sure has a weird way of trying to find out who's betraying by sacrificing an innocent life. Just what was he thinking?"

"Well, maybe he wanted Ganon to be distracted, while we sneaked in," Link suggested.

"Oh really?" Tetra asked incredulously. She stood up and walked right into his face. "It sure didn't work very well because the boys got captured! That darn gerudo was on his toes, kid, he had guards everywhere."

"We didn't know that in the first place, though!" He countered, glaring at Tetra. He put his arms out in either direction. "I mean, we scouted out the area first and found all about the guards there, but we didn't know how smart they were! And besides, _I_ didn't get captured and you're safe now because of that!" Tetra turned and walked away from Link. "Come on... show some gratitude at least." He wanted to say: _I'm really happy you're safe,_ but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth.

She was silent for awhile, arms crossed and fuming quietly. "Okay... you're right. I'm sorry, Link." She looked over at him soberly. "I should be grateful. ... thank you for saving me."

"And fer savin' us, too!" Gonzo added. He was grinning like a pirate should. The others were also grinning. "So what next, captain?"

"Huh? Wait, what?" Tetra looked confused at the sudden title change. She looked to Gonzo to Link and then smiled slyly. "Oh, I see. So, the kid took over for me while I was gone, eh?" The islander smiled and looked rather embarrassed. "Well, that's too bad, I'm demoting you, kid back to 'guest.' Don't think you're become a first mate or something, because Gonzo is my first mate."

Link scratched the back of his head. "That's fine with me. Sorry for stealing your spot."

"Whatever, whatever," she said waving the subject away with her hand. Her expression became suddenly serious. "We need to set sail to the Mainland immediately, so we can get there before Ganon does. Otherwise, he might get access to the _Triforce_! No one wants that, so let's move, move! Get to your stations!"

"Aye, aye, Miss!" The pirates saluted her, and scrambled out of their seats to their assigned positions. Senza went to handle the catapult, Zuko to the crow's nest, Gonzo to the helm, Nudge to guard Tetra's cabin, and Niko to the swabbie duties down below. Finally, after drifting for such a long time (a decent distance from the Forsaken Fortress), the ship was now moving swiftly through the water (with a little help from the Wind Waker).

After giving the ship a bit of push, Link slid down the bulk of the mast from the crow's nest and landed on the deck quietly. He looked over to the rail to see Tetra leaning against it as usual. He thought, for a moment, that she was looking a little pale, but decided it was just his imagination. Link was worried about the poison, but Tetra had said she was immune, so maybe he was just letting his fears get the best of him.

"Hey, Tetra," he said, walking over to her. It had been so long since had gotten a chance to talk to her without her being in shackles or behind bars. Though, like always, he realized that he had no clue what to say to her.

She turned her head around when her name was called. "What's up, kid?"

"I..." He knew he blushed. "I... I'm glad you're safe. That's... what I wanted to say earlier."

A sly smirk crossed Tetra's face. "Your face is red, Link." She giggled rather uncharacteristically of her. Clearing her throat, she said, "anyway... It's nice to hear that from you. Though, aren't you supposed to be controlling the wind or something?"

"Oh!" Link looked up at the sky; his face was clearing up. "I think I've given it enough power to get us to Hyrule quickly." He turned his attention back to Tetra, still not knowing what else to say.

"When did you become so shy?" Tetra asked. "I thought you had gotten over your initial crush phase. Or are you still overwhelmed by my good looks?" she added with a sly smirk. "Maybe I can help you with that." She stood away from the rail and approached Link slowly with another one of her mischievous smiles on her face.

_Oh crap,_ the islander thought. _What will she do now!_ Pranks were, in his opinion, not the best way to reward your hero (though Link felt he needed no reward). He felt a warning signal coming from his heart and the islander began to back up. "W-wait, Tetra... Wh-what do you think you're d-doing?" He backed into the mast and looked both directions.

"Nowhere to hide, Link."

"Oh, I can and will!"

The islander made a motion to head for the cabin, but Tetra grabbed his arm. "You can't escape a pirate!" she said, laughing. "C'mere, darn you!" She pulled his arm back, trying to drag Link towards her. Link, however, was trying to make it difficult for her and tried to wrench his arm out of her grasp.

With unexpected ease, Link slid his arm away and began to run away. He stopped, however, realizing it had seemed too easy to break free of Tetra's grasp that time. Hearing a couple of coughs from behind him, the islander turned around.

Tetra was looking paler than when he had looked beforehand and had stopped in her tracks. She was holding her chest and looking suddenly ill. "I feel very dizzy for some odd reason, kid," she said to him. "I haven't been sea-sick in years... I wonder... wait... no... it can't be...!"

Then it clicked. Immediately, Link ran over to her and caught her as she swayed backwards in a dizzy trance. "Tetra!" Link yelled. He knew she needed medical attention quickly before the poison got any stronger. His scream had caught the attention of the pirates, and they all left their posts to see what was happening. Many of them shared looks of fear when they saw Tetra's unhealthy condition.

At that very moment, the cabin door slammed open. It was Rashu rushing outside as if he had—no, he did have—important news for everyone. He stopped in front of Link and pirates, eying Tetra, and for the first time, the islander thought he saw horror in the wise moblin's eyes.

"Sweet Nayru..." Rashu had the needle in his fingers, holding it an omen of doom. "It's as I feared, she's not immune—no one could be immune to this poison! It's Soft-shelled Gohma venom! She'll be dead within ten hours!"

There was a chorus of horrified gasps from the pirates, and Link could only stare in disbelief. He turned his head to Tetra, whose eyes were closing slowly; he knew she was losing consciousness swiftly.

"Ten hours?" Link put his hand on Tetra's face, it was still warm fortunately. "You mean less than a day?" Rashu nodded grimly. "Isn't there a way to save her?"

"... yes, but it's a slim chance," the moblin said. "I'd need a venom sac from a Soft-shelled Gohma in order to create an antidote, but those things are highly dangerous, and nearly impossible to get near without it trying to poison its target." He gave a warning look to Link. "I know what you're thinking, but if Ganondorf is returning to Hyrule, he could be prepared to meet us there, and to kill Tetra in her weakened state."

Even though Rashu had said something different, Link knew it was a warning against running off to find one of these Soft-shelled Gohmas and kill it for one of its sacs. He had never heard of the creature before at his home, so it must have lived on the mainland.

"Where do we go then!" Gonzo growled. "Are ye sayin' there's no way to get one of those sacs?"

"No, it's possible, but I don't want to let her fall into Ganondorf's hands!" He seemed extremely frustrated as he spoke. It seemed to Link that Rashu was stuck between a rock and a hard place with no hope out.

Then an idea came to him. "Outset Island," he said. Everyone looked at him curiously. "Let's go to Outset Island. At least my Grandma could take care of Tetra. She always fed us her special soup when we were ill." He received strange looks for that.

"Link, this is a poison, not an illness," Rashu said calmly, despite his frustration.

The islander grit his teeth. "Well, it _might_ help!" he answered angrily. "Who knows? Besides, Ganon isn't expecting us there! She'll be safe there while we try to get an antidote!" He couldn't let her die, not after all he had tried to do for her.

"... very well, you have a good point." Rashu conceded. "Come, let's take her to her cabin for now where she can rest." Link nodded and carried Tetra into the cabin. Passing by the pirates' rooms, Link was allowed entry to the pirate captainess's room by Nudge. There, the islander laid her on her bed and wrapped the covers around her.

In the lantern-light, he could see that she was extremely pale, and her eyes were closed.

After that, he went back outside, and took out the Wind Waker and held it out in his left hand. "All right. We're going to Outset Island, got it?" he said, looking at each one of the pirates one by one.

"Aye-aye!" They saluted him, and went to back to their posts. Immediately, Link began to conduct the wind and changed its direction southward. He saw Gonzo ahead of him at the helm turn the wheel and head towards the double-mountain island in the dark distance.

As Link took control of the wind, he wondered about what Tetra had said about pushing him out of the way, and what she might have really meant. If she hadn't done that then Link would be the one who was poisoned. In essence, she saved his life.

Thus, even if Rashu was against it, Link was determined to save Tetra's life in return, even if it cost him his own life.


	21. Chapter 20: Into the Darkness

Chapter 20: Into the Darkness

Link was the first ashore on Outset Island; it had been a long time since he had last set his feet on his home's soil. It was already nightfall; the houses were all dark, save the light of a few torches from inside them.

But something was amiss; the wind was out of control and blowing furiously against the island, causing the trees to sway and the bushes to dance. There were dark rolling clouds in the sky, usually the type that carried thunder storms with them. It was as if the whole island was cursed with darkness, like an omen of something to come.

Not bothering to use the _Wind Waker_ to take control of the wind, Link ran up the shore, west towards his old house. The wind tugged on his body, as if to get him as far away as possible from his home. Yet Link fought his way through the gusts and made it to the doorknob within seconds.

Grabbing it, Link swung open the door with such force that it slammed into the wall, making his entrance quite loud and startling. As he looked in, he saw Aryll and his grandmother come rushing from behind the wall at the sound of the crashing door.

"Link?"

"Grandma! It's an emergency! I can't explain right now, just please... can you make that soup you made for Aryll and I whenever we were ill? We really need it right now."

"'We?'" Grandma repeated. "Link... what are you-?"

"Please!" There was the tone of utmost urgency in his voice. "I'll tell you later! In fact, in a minute!" He added, glancing behind him to see Gonzo and the other pirates approaching his home's doorway.

"Who are these people, big brother?" Aryll asked.

Link didn't answer, instead he beckoned Gonzo over. He was carrying the pale-skinned Tetra in his arms. At the sight of Tetra, Grandma and Aryll gasped.

"I think I understand, my child," Grandma said grimly. She looked at Gonzo. "I don't know you, but you can place her on the bottom bed of the bunk, sir." Then, she turned to her grandson. "Link, I will start right away. What is she ill with?"

"Tetra's not... exactly ill," Link replied as Gonzo rested Tetra on the lower bunk bed. The young warrior bit his lower lip in anxiety. "She's poisoned with something nasty."

"Oh dear... we have no antidotes for poison here."

"I know that, but there's a murderous person after her and I thought it would be safer to come here. Besides... the soup might help, right?"

"Oh my, Link," Grandma said. "What have you gotten yourself into?" Before he could answer, Grandma raised her hand. "I know, you'll explain later. You've been working hard. It's my turn to help you, and your new friends."

Link smiled weakly. Even in the grimmest of times, he knew he could count on his grandmother for help. He looked at the pirates. "Guys, I know this place is small, but you're free to make yourselves as comfortable as you can." Then, Rashu entered the door.

Aryll let out a scream of terror, and stumbled backwards, and Grandma turned around suddenly and gasped. Rashu held up his hands in defense, as did Link, and at the same time they both said, "don't be afraid!"

"This is just... Rashu," Link explained to his sister and to his grandmother. Noticing their bewildered looks, Link sighed. "All right. I guess I should explain things. Let me start from the beginning."

"Hurry, then," Rashu said to him. "We have little time." The pirates gathered near the front door and all sat down, facing the young swordsman.

Nodding, Link started from when he left Outset. He tried to speak fast enough to not spend hours explaining, but slow enough for someone like Aryll to understand. He spoke of running into the whirlpool and being saved by the pirates. How the pirates nursed him to health, and how Ghashar raided them. He avoided the details of the battle in order to keep his family from fainting, and merely explained that Ghashar escaped without a hand.

Link then continued to tell the story of how the pirates took him to the mainland for the tournament. He told them about the _Ocarina of Time,_ Ganondorf, and the whole plot to steal the ocarina. He emphasized the fact that Ganondorf was evil, and that the pirates were merely stealing the sacred object to save Hyrule from his clutches.

He told them briefly about the tournament, and without shame, his loss to Ganon. Then he explained the experiences in the Forsaken Fortress, the Soul-less, Tetra's trial, his discovery of Rashu and Khaga, his finding of the _Master Sword_, his return to the trial, how he saved Tetra's life, and finally, how they escaped Forsaken Fortress and how Tetra was poisoned.

When he finished, he was relieved to hear from Rashu that his story had only taken an hour to tell. Although he had no idea how the old moblin knew that, Link just trusted his judgment.

Aryll's mouth was gaping open the whole time while he explained. She gasped at sudden twists in the story and almost shrieked when some of the battles were described (despite their lack of detail). Grandma remained focused on cooking the soup (even though, every once in awhile she would give Link a concerned look), and by the time her grandson had finished the story, the soup was almost ready. The pirates were nodding their heads approvingly of Link's explanation.

After he was done, Aryll walked up to him and hugged him. "Are you okay, Link?" she asked with a worried voice.

"Of course he is," a voice came from behind them. Aryll let go and Link turned around to see Orca and Sturgeon standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry," Orca said. "My brother and I were eavesdropping on you, Link. We saw the large ship outside and decided to head to your house since it was open, and just heard you begin your story. You have become quite the warrior since you left."

"This is dreadful news," Sturgeon said. "Ever since you left the island, strange things started happening here. The woods started to become filled with monsters that even Orca could not withstand. We had to cut the bridge leading to the forest for everyone's safety. Recently, we've have vicious thunder storms at night. It's as if a curse has fallen upon us." He paused. "How long has the girl been poisoned and what was she poisoned with?"

"About four hours," Rashu said. "She was poisoned with Soft-shelled Gohma venom, which will kill her in the next six hours. In other words, we have little less than a day before it's over for her."

"Oh no!" Aryll exclaimed. "You mean the nice pirate girl is going to die?"

Link swallowed. "No," he said firmly. "I'm going to find a way to stop the poison. I refuse to let her die...!" He pulled out the _Wind Waker_ from his adventurer's pouch and gazed at it as if it held some secret answer to his quest.

Immediately, he heard Sturgeon gasp, and looked at him. "Is that... my word! I thought it was a myth! Is that the _Wind Waker_? The Baton of the Gods?"

"Yes," Link answered. His voice sounded confused. "How... did you know that?"

"The same way I know about the _Master Sword_, and the _Ocarina of Time_, my boy," Sturgeon said. "Through the ancient legends spoken of by our people. ... how did you get a hold of it?"

"Rashu gave it to me," Link said. Before Sturgeon could talk again, however, Link spoke. "I know, I know. It's strange, but we need to figure out how to save Tetra first! Grandma... is the soup ready?"

"Yes, it is, my child," Grandma responded. She fetched a bowl off the mantle."But I don't know if it will do the young lady any good."

"Well, we have to try," Link said. "Maybe it'll delay the poison or something." He was desperate for anything to work. If this failed, he would have to go to Rashu for help, even though the prospect for hope was slim.

Pouring the soup into the bowl with a ladle, Grandma walked over to Tetra. "Would someone be so kind as to open her mouth for me."

"I'll do it," Gonzo said. He stood up from where he was sitting, and walked over to Tetra. He gently forced open her mouth, allowing Grandma to pour the soup down Tetra's throat. "Wait... will she swallow? She's out cold!"

There was sudden gurgling noise, and then a gasp as the soup went down Tetra's throat. Apparently, she was still somewhat conscious. Conscious enough to swallow liquid at least. Link waded through the mass of people to get to her, and looked at the color of her skin.

"She's... still pale," he breathed, eyes wide and centered on Tetra's face. "No... this can't be!"

"Give it some time, my child." Grandma patted Link on the shoulder. "Perhaps she will get better. I will continue to feed her as long as she accepts it."

Tears were breaking through Link's eyes. If there had been a moment of utter and hopeless despair in his life, this was it. Tetra was dying and there seemed to be no way of saving her. Had Ganon really won? Was Hyrule and the rest of the world doomed?

"T-tetra..." Link fell to his knees, and was about to say another prayer when Rashu spoke up.

"There actually... might be a chance to save her from the poison."

Everyone looked at the old moblin in surprise. Link jumped to his feet and ran over to him. "How? Please tell me, Rashu. I will do anything to save Tetra's life."

"Excuse me for interrupting," Sturgeon said. "But it is simple. You merely need a large sample of the venom to create the antidote needed for the poison."

"We have discussed that, however," Rashu said. "It is getting the sample that will be the most difficult part of the task. And Link, I do not think you can do it."

"What! But you just said that there was a way to-"

"Listen to me." Rashu knelt down to Link's height, and spoke to him gently. "You have very little chance of succeeding in this task because, as I said so in the trial, the _Master Sword's _power is sleeping. Look at it."

Doing as he was told, Link drew the sword from its sheath and gazed upon it with curiosity.

"The blade is dull, and the power to repel evil and magic has left the blade save a tiny fragment of its power," Rashu explained. "That fragment was the only thing protecting the sword from being wielded in evil hands. I'm afraid, though, that there is such little power in that blade that is not extraordinary in any way."

"You mean," Link said. "You mean, that this sword is just... like any old sword?"

"In a sense, yes. And that's why you cannot do this, Link. As I've said, the only way to save Tetra is for someone to actually kill a Soft-shelled Gohma, and take its venom sac without being stung. Without the _Master Sword's_ full power, I do not believe you could defeat it."

Link stared at Rashu and then at the sword, then to Rashu and then at the sword again. Biting his lip frustratedly, he said, "I... I don't care. I will go kill a Soft-shelled Gohma and bring back its venom sac."

"Are you really sure about this, Link?" Rashu asked. "What if you are stung, and what if you die?"

All eyes were on him, and Link did not know how to respond. Doubts entered his mind. _What if __I really can't do it? If I can't save Tetra... Maybe, it is too dangerous. But... it's Tetra. I can't just leave __her behind to die. What type of person would that make me?_

Such thoughts swirled in his mind, then, Orca stepped forward. "I do not understand all the things that had transpired, Rashu, but I do not fear for Link's life. I was the one who trained him since he was young. I fully believe there is no way he could fail Miss Tetra or us. Death is something we all must face at one point or another. It is something that we should never run from, though."

Link was grateful for Orca's speech, it filled him with the confidence he needed to overcome his doubts. He felt more confident now, a type of confidence he did not have before. Fear fled his body, and he felt like he could tackle anything that could be thrown at him.

"Master is right," Link said to Rashu, sheathing the sword. "I can do this. I promised my people here that I would return home from the tournament, and I have. Then... let me promise you this, I will go and return with a venom sac. Just please, tell me... where can I find and kill one of those vile creatures?"

There was a long silence before the old moblin stood up. "Very well. I will tell you. You must return to the mainland, and go to the southeastern corner of the land. There, you will find the entrance to the Lost Woods to the north. Deep within those woods, you will find the Kokiri Forest. There, you need to speak to the Great Deku Tree. He should be able to direct you to your target."

"The Lost Woods?" Mako repeated. "Isn't that the place where you can easily get confused and lost inside?"

"Yes, it is to protect the Kokiris in the Forest from unwanted intruders," Rashu explained. He looked around. "Does anyone have a piece of parchment or paper that I could use?"

As if to answer his question, Aryll went to one of the drawers near the beds, and opened it. Link knew what was in there; his family's last piece of parchment. Without hesitation, his little sister pulled out the parchment and walked over to Rashu. She didn't seem to be afraid of him anymore.

"Will this work, Mr. Moblin?" she asked.

"Aryll," Grandma said. "That's our last piece!"

"But... we have to help the nice pirate girl, don't we?" Aryll said with a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry," said Sturgeon. He waved his free hand dismissively. "I'll give you some more. I have plenty to spare. Let this last piece go to the good use of saving this young lady's life."

"Thank you, dear child," Rashu said kindly as he took the piece of parchment from her. The old moblin tapped his staff on the ground twice, and suddenly, a thorn grew on the end of it, dripping with ink. Maneuvering his staff carefully, Rashu began to make some markings on the paper. They made gentle scratching noises as he swiped the thorn across the page. Finally, with one last stroke, Rashu stopped. He tapped his staff twice again, and the thorn shrunk into nothingness. Then, he handed the page to Link.

"Here, Link, these are the directions that will get you through the Lost Woods as quickly as possible. And this," he pulled out a round object from within his robe and placed it in Link's hand. It had a red and white, double-sided spindle in it. "This," Rashu continued. "Is a compass. It will always point north, so you will know which direction you are going. On the page, the arrows I drew will point up for north, right for east, and so forth for each direction."

Link looked at the page and nodded. "Thank you." He turned to the pirates. "Guys... I'm going to need a ride." The pirates each looked at each other for a second, as if trying to decide something. Link could guess what it was. "I know you're worried about Tetra. I am, too. So... if you want, some of you can stay behind and keep an eye on her. I just need to get to the mainland."

"But... how will you get back, matey?" Zuko asked.

"The _Wind Waker_ will provide a way," Rashu interjected. "Just talk to the Kokiris and the Great Deku Tree, Link, and they will help you find a way back to Outset; hopefully, before it is too late."

"How will I be able to identify the Kokiris?" Link asked.

"They are like children," Rashu said. "And they will have a fairy accompanying each one of them. Now, you must hurry!"

"Right!" The young warrior nodded to the pirates. "Whoever is going to come, decide now."

"I will come wit' ya," Gonzo said. Senza, Zuko, and Niko nodded in agreement while Nudge and Mako decided to stay behind with Tetra.

"All right, it's settled then," Link said. "Let's leave immediately!"

This time, they didn't salute him, instead, with determined expressions on their faces, the pirates merely nodded, and those who would go with him stood up. Link ran ahead, and jumped out the door into the heavy winds blasting through Outset. 

Once outside, Link headed for the pirates' ship. He shot a glance back at his home to see the pirates running out the door to meet him. Together, they ran up the gangplank and onto the ship. The sails were set, and with haste, they sailed towards the southeast corner of the mainland.

-S-

With the help of the _Wind Waker_, Link and the pirates managed to get to their destination within three hours. They landed near a sandy beach, far away from any civilization. Ahead, Link could see the beginnings of Hyrule Field near the end of the beach. And even further, he thought he could see a large forest in the distance, but he wasn't sure.

The clouds here were also dark, large beasts rolling through the skies. The wind was not as strong here as it was on Outset, yet something still did not feel right. Link wondered if Ganondorf had already taken the _Triforce _because of the evil weather.

He felt tired; he had not slept in a long time, yet Link chose to go forward on his journey. He slid down the lowered gangplank onto the beach, sending sand flying in all directions when he landed.

"You guys get going!" He told the pirates. "I'll be back at Outset soon... with a venom sac!"

Link waved to the pirates and then headed north towards what he thought to be the forest. While he could not tell whether it was night or day, he figured it was still nighttime as it had only been a few hours since they raided Forsaken Fortress to save Tetra from Ganondorf's hands. _That feels like a lifetime ago though._

It was a long journey to the forest, or at least, it felt like it. Link guessed that he had walked a couple of miles before reaching a gigantic fallen log embedded within the trees. He guessed that about ten people could fit in the log at a single time, lengthwise. As for how deep it went into the forest, he was not sure. He could only see a few yards in, the rest seem to be swallowed up in darkness. The trees were so thick on either side and seemed to extend for long distances that the log appeared to be the only way in.

Not needing to steel himself, Link entered the log, and into the darkness. Feeling along the sides of the log as he walked through, he eventually saw a light at the end. Following it, and hoping it was not some trick, the islander exited the log to find himself on a clearing within the forest. Above him, he could see an opening with the dark sky above. However, it was what was around that startled him.

There were three more logs, similar to the one he had just walked through, embedded in the forest walls. One to the north, one to the east, one to the west, and then the one to the south that he just came through. _This is probably some sort of maze,_ he thought. _I wonder... what were the directions Rashu gave me again?_

Link had not taken the time to read the page of directions while on the ship. Now was probably the best time to take a look. Pulling it out of his adventurer's pouch, along with the compass, he studied the page for the Lost Woods.

The directions went as followed: north, west, west, north, east, north, west, north. Link assumed that he needed to head through the logs that faced those directions. It was no wonder Rashu had given him the compass; for there would have been no way for him to figure out on his own which direction he was going, even if the sky had been clear. There was just not enough space in the opening to show Link where the north star was.

In the distance, he thought he could hear an ocarina playing a mysterious tune. It reminded him of Tetra playing the _Ocarina of Time_ that one night when they were escaping from the Royal Family. He almost could remember the song she played, yet it was very different from the tune he heard now.

The memory of Tetra urged Link forward. The map had said to go north first, and according to the compass (and his memory), he was facing north. Thus, he trudged deeper into the woods and into the log.

And that was when he noticed it: as he came close to the opening of the log, the song of the ocarina gradually got louder, as if to beckon him through that log. Unwittingly, Link obeyed, and passed through the log. When he reached the other side, he then truly realized why Rashu had given him the directions.

The 'new' section of the Lost Woods that he had just entered looked like the one he just left. He stared in disbelief; everything was in its exact place. No bush or tree had moved from its spot. It was a complete, and perfect copy of the first section of the woods. He was so shocked that he barely noticed the ocarina's tune growing softer.

Shaking his head, Link told himself to focus on what was important. He looked at the map and then a sudden, strong gust of wind came from one of the logs, and tore the map from his hands, sending it flying into log to the east. _Crap, now what do I do?_

Link remembered that he needed to head west twice, at the very least, but the rest of the directions were fading from his mind. By the time he went west twice, he knew that he would forget all the directions entirely.

_Great, I'm trapped in this maze, and Tetra's going to die because of it. What do I do now!_ He looked around frantically for a clue, or anything to tell him where he was. He had to find a way out. After a few minutes of searching the area, Link realized that there were no distinguishing marks in the section he was in.

With a resigned sigh, Link ran over to the log on the west side. As he approached the log, he noticed the tune of the ocarina become louder again. _That's it! The tune is telling which direction is the right one to take!_ Immediately, to test his theory, he ran over to the log on the north side. Just as he expected, the tune grew softer; so soft that he could barely hear it even. _It's like it's calling to me._

Returning to the western side, Link followed the song of the ocarina through the Lost Woods. While every section was the exact same in size, shape, and features, he would know where he needed to go next because of the ocarina's song. Every time he entered a new section, he would go close to each log to see which one caused the ocarina's song to become louder, and would enter that log which he could hear the instrument most clearly.

It wasn't long before he suddenly found himself outside of the Lost Woods, and inside a forest, one much more realistic than the first. Inside this forest, Link could see trees spread out in uneven spaces across the ground. In front of him, he could see a large clearing with several broken down-looking huts. A second look told him that the huts were actually houses made of large, broad tree stumps. Behind him, was the exit from the Lost Woods; another hollow log.

_I made it... this must be the place where the kokiris live, _he thought happily. _Now, I just have to see the Great Deku Tree. That could be difficult._

As Link walked onto the grassy field, he saw two children about a few yards in front of him. One, a boy, was watching the other, a girl, sitting on stump. With them, were these odd glowing spheres. Even more odd was the fact that the boy wore green clothes and cap similar to Link's own. The girl was also wearing green clothes, but instead of cap, there was a flower in her green hair. He noticed that she was holding something in her hands.

He couldn't tell what it was at first, then, it suddenly dawned on him. _She's playing the ocarina I heard!_ In her hands, the girl was holding a wooden ocarina and playing the exact tune he had heard through the Lost Woods.

He took a step forward and suddenly stopped by another child in the same green clothes. "Hold it! Who are you?" It was a boy, and the cap went over his eyes. Link wondered how he could see the islander standing there.

"I... I'm here for the Great Deku Tree," Link said. "I need to speak with him." He noticed that this boy, like the other boy and girl had a spherical light accompanying him. It took him a moment to see the wings connected to the body of the light. _They have fairies... they've got to be the kokiris._

His blocker wouldn't move. "We don't let outsiders see the Great Deku Tree. No matter what!"

Before Link could open his mouth, the ocarina stopped playing. "What's going on?" a girl's voice asked.

The kokiri blocking him moved aside to let the girl approach. She had bright green eyes, much like Link's own. She had a curious expression on her face. However, the other kokiri boy had approached, and unlike the girl, he did not seemed thrilled to see the islander.

"So, how'd you get in here, squirt? Luck?" he asked, brushing some of his orange hair. "Get outta here. We don't welcome outsiders! And don't try to fool us with those clothes! You don't have a fairy, and we've never seen your face around here before."

While Link himself was curious about the clothing, too, he had other matters to attend to. "I understand that you don't like outsiders, but this is an emergency! I really need to see the Great Deku Tree. A friend of mine is poisoned with Soft-shelled Gohma venom, and she's-"

He was interrupted by a chorus of horrified gasps from the the three. "What'd you say!" asked the orange-haired kokiri. But his expression darkened. "No way, you're lying. I know what you really want, and we're not going to let you see the Great Deku Tree for it! Not for thieves like you! Get out of here, punk!"

_Thieves? What is he talking about?_

The two boys made motions to push Link back into the Lost Woods when the girl grabbed their arms. "Wait a minute! What if he's telling the truth? He doesn't seem dishonest."

"Saria," the orange-haired one said. "Don't be stupid. They all seem nice at first, but all they really want to do is steal from us." He glared at the islander as if to say 'people like you.'

The girl, Saria, didn't seem to be deterred. "Mido, he's too young to be a thief! Besides, how would he have gotten past the Lost Woods without help?" She looked at Link. "Who sent you?"

"A... wizard named Rashu." Link was uncertain as whether to say that he was a moblin or a wizard or both. He felt anxious. These kokiris were wasting his time, if he couldn't see the Great Deku Tree, then... no, he didn't want to think about it. Even though Tetra was constantly on his mind.

"Rashu?" Mido said, raising his brows. The kokiri folded his arms and frowned at him. "You're making up one will 'o wisp of a story there, kid. Come on, get out!" He shoved the islander back, but Link resisted and pushed forward with equal force. "See? You are determined to steal from us."

"This is getting ridiculous!" Link said loudly. "My friend is going to die! Rashu told me that the Great Deku Tree was the only one who could help me save her! And all you think is that I'm going to steal from you!"

"Show me proof that he sent you!" Mido countered. "If you're a friend of Rashu's, then he would have given you something to prove that."

Link pulled out the compass, and let the kokiri look at it. After a moment, he laughed.

"You're kidding me! A compass? Is that all you have? That doesn't prove anything."

"Well, I had a map that he wrote out for me, but I lost it," Link said. He was grinding his teeth together. He wanted to insult Mido for his lack of respect, but he held his tongue.

"Oh gee, how convenient," the kokiri snorted.

"But, Mido! There's no way he could have gotten through the Lost Woods without a map," Saria said. "And the directions are secret, only a few outsiders know what they are." She again looked at the islander with sympathetic eyes. "How did you get in here without a map?"

"I followed the sound of your ocarina," Link said.

Mido was about to interrupt him, but as soon as he had spoken, the kokiri stopped with his mouth hanging open. Saria looked utterly surprised and was speechless. The other, well, Link couldn't tell his expression because of the cap.

"You... heard the ocarina?" Saria asked slowly. "But... how? Not even Rashu can do that."

Mido still looked skeptical. It was like he wanted Link to be branded as a thief, but somehow, this information had changed everything. The other kokiri boy was not even trying to push the islander away into the Lost Woods anymore. He just stood there, stunned.

Saria and Mido quickly moved aside from Link and began whispering rapidly to each other. Finally, after several moments, Mido stepped back and shook his head. "No way!" he said. "He can't be it!"

"But... the prophecies...!" Saria protested. "Have you forgotten? Only the-"

"I know, I know." he let out an aggravated groan. "All right... we'll let you see the Great Deku Tree, kid. ... what's your name?"

The islander wanted to ask about these 'prophecies,' but a sudden image of Tetra, lying on the bottom bunk back at Outset stopped him. The paleness of her skin sent cold blood rushing through his veins. "I'm Link."

"Link...?" Saria repeated. "... that... sounds familiar. Where have I-?" she stopped, probably noticing his urgent expression. "Oh! Right, we need to help your friend. Let's go then."

Mido and Saria led Link across the grassy field. As they walked, he could see other kokiris, coming out of their houses to watch him. Some of them had been hiding in the bushes nearby, and it made him wonder how many of them heard the argument.

Finally, they crossed a small river that led to a narrow pass made of natural stone. Mido motioned Link to follow him and Saria through the pass. As the islander drew close, the orange-haired kokiri glared at him. "If you are here to steal things," he whispered menacingly. "I will kill you."

Link didn't reply, instead, he kept his eyes forward. Once he was through the pass, he found himself, along with his guides, in a very large glade. In the middle was a gigantic tree that had to be at least as large as the forest on Outset Island. The most surprising thing to the islander, though, was the fact that the tree had a face.

"This is the Great Deku Tree," Saria said. "He is our guardian spirit in these woods."

_If he's the guardian, why were they protecting me from him?_ Link wondered. It did not matter right now. He opened his mouth, but the Great Deku Tree spoke first.

"I have been expecting you, child, for a very, very, long time." The guardian's voice was deep, and ancient-sounding. "You are sent from Rashu, are you not?"

Link nodded, feeling overwhelmed. "Y-yes. I am. How... did you know I was coming?"

"I saw you in a vision, child," the Great Deku Tree responded. "A vision of old when my roots were yet tender and young. But tell me, why have you sought me out?"

The islander was perplexed. If this guardian had seen Link coming to the Kokiri Forest in a vision, how did he not know what the islander's motives were? "I was told that you could tell me where a Soft-shelled Gohma is... so I can kill it and get its venom sac." He heard Saria gasp in horror beside him, but he kept his eyes glued to the Great Deku Tree.

"I see..." the tree said. "Mido, Saria, please leave us alone. There are things that cannot be said in front of you." Link turned around to see Saria bow and walk away, but Mido stayed behind. He looked at Link with a suspicious glare, but said nothing. "Mido, leave your doubts and mistrust of this young one behind."

The orange-haired kokiri looked at the Great Deku Tree and nodded. "Fine." He turned around and left the glade.

"The path you have chosen is a dangerous one," the guardian continued. "But... you are the only one who can walk this path. Only you could have heard Saria's ocarina in the Lost Woods. No other mortal has that power."

"What... do you mean?"

"All will be explained in time," the guardian assured him. "But before allowing you to seek your prey, I must ask you, do you know how Hyrule, the Great Seas, and the islands were created?" Link nodded. "Recite it to me then."

He felt anxious. _What the heck? Is everyone here trying to waste my time? What does the Creation have to do with saving Tetra's life?_

"Fear not," said the Great Deku Tree. "You will have enough time to save your dear friend. Speak."

Link sighed. "All right. It started with the three Goddesses—Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage—they found the chaotic matter that would become our world. Din took the matter and organized it into the land masses. Nayru took the other part of the matter and made the water and air for the world. Finally, Farore created all the living things on Hyrule."

"Very good," the Great Deku Tree said. "Do you remember what they left behind?"

"An essence of their powers, a Golden Power called the _Triforce, _right? The top triangle for Power, the lower-right for Wisdom, and the lower-left for Courage."

"Wonderful," said the guardian. "I am pleased with your description. Please, Link, remember that fact while searching for your prey. The time will come when you understand my words, and why I asked you to recite the Creation to me. Now, then... look to your left."

Link did as he was told, and in the distance, he saw an entrance to a dark forest. The entrance was boarded off with thick logs set in a cross. Something about that entry-way sent cold shivers up his spine.

"That, child, is the Forbidden Woods," the guardian continued. "It is in there, that you will find what you need to slay in order to save your friend's life. I warn you, though, it is a twisted place, where your nightmares may very well come true. Be wary, and keep that sword close to you."

"How... do I get in?" Link asked slowly.

"I shall let you in, and then re-seal the passage," the Great Deku Tree explained. "I will open it again when you return." Even as he spoke, the logs began to move apart, allowing entry to the Forbidden Woods. "Go quickly, before I must close the passage to avoid allowing any of the evil to spread to this part of the forest."

With a nod, Link ran over to the entrance to the woods. Drawing the _Master Sword_, and readying his shield, the young warrior walked into the darkness, bracing himself for whatever lay within.


	22. Chapter 21: The Forbidden Woods

Chapter 21: The Forbidden Woods

Link could barely see in the woods; it was filled with dark mist that hung in the air. He could only see about five yards all around him, and no more. _This is... going to be harder than I thought._

From what he could see, the trees were so twisted that they created walls on either side of him. There was a rank, and foul smell as if all the roots, trees, and vines were rotting. Placing the top of his hand on a nearby tree that was broken off from the rest, Link was surprised to find that the bark felt dry, not wet as he had expected.

He advanced from the tree he was near and walked across the path, which was littered with dry branches and leaves. Ahead of him was a patch of tall and thorny grass. Unable to see any way of getting around it, Link used his sword to cut down the grass in order to avoid getting pricked or stabbed.

After cutting himself a path through the thorns, he stumbled upon a river of purple liquid that blockaded the way before him. Link could see openings in the walls on either side, allowing the river to pass through. However, the openings were decaying as if something had eaten away at the bark. He hoped that it was not the liquid that had done that.

Link grit his teeth in annoyance. _Is everything here trying to get in my way?_ He peered around until he saw an overhanging branch above him. Thinking, he realized that he might be able to swing across the river onto the other side. The problem was, he could barely see the land across the river.

Sheathing his sword and putting away his shield, Link took out his grappling hook. He spun the hook around several times before throwing it at the branch. To his delight, the hook grasped the bulk of the branch. After tugging on the rope to make sure it was secure, he stepped back and made a running jump across the river and landed on the other side safely.

With a weak and strong tug on the grappling hook, Link managed to yank it towards him with such force that he nearly broke the branch. The hook came flying at him, and he had to duck to avoid getting hit. _Well, at least it didn't land in the water, or I might have lost it, _he thought after retrieving it.

There was a path of lighter grass ahead of him, and he decided to follow it. It led him through several twists and turns before running him into a fork in the path. The trees, so knotted together on either side, were deliberately making the woods feel like a cave, more so than a forest.

Link had no idea how long he had traveled, it felt like hours had passed. He looked up, and through the mist he could barely see a dark, cloudy sky beyond the trees' branches. It still appeared to be nighttime. _I've got to find that monster before Tetra dies!_

He took a step towards the left, and all of a sudden, giant thorny roots popped out of the ground. They were wiggling as if they were alive, and made Link take a couple of steps backward to avoid them. They made a disgusting slimy noise as they wreathed back and forth.

He let a groan—everything really was trying to get in his way. _Fine! Let's see how it handles this!_ Link thought as he took out a bomb from his adventurer's pouch, not even bothering to count how many he had stolen from the Forsaken Fortress, and lit the fuse. He rolled it next to the wiggling roots and stood a few steps back, and waited a couple of seconds.

_Ka-blam!_ The loud explosion resonated throughout the cavernous woods. He waited for the smoke to clear, yet he was doubtful. _I can still hear something wiggling..._ Just as he expected, when the smoke cleared, the roots were still in one piece and he was down one bomb.

Angry and frustrated, Link drew his sword and slashed repeatedly at the roots while avoiding their flailing motions. Nothing happened, the _Master Sword_ could not even made a slice in the slimy things.

Stepping back, he resignedly sheathed his sword. _I hate this. What if the Gohma is behind those roots? I'll never get to it!_ He stomped his foot in the ground, half-hoping it would cause the roots to tumble over.

Yet despite all his anger, it was unsettling to see moving roots like the ones before him. He had never known a plant to move in such ways. It seemed extremely unnatural. The more he thought about it, the creepier it became. _It's like that river... as if it's trying to eat you alive. _

Shivering, Link took the right side path, which was very narrow and barely had enough room for him on either side. As he walked across the path, he found himself wading through thick, tall grass again. This time it wasn't thorny, but it obscured what little vision he had.

Suddenly, he felt something slimy hook onto his right arm. Twirling around, he saw the most bizarre thing he had ever seen. A black, snake-like rope coming out of the ground with a purple three-fingered hand was gripping his arm, trying to pull him backwards.

With his left, Link drew his sword and cut the rope in half, causing green liquid to spill out from opening of the rope. He shook the hand off of his arm with ease, but saw to his horror that three more of these black-roped hands rise out of the grass. All of them reached out for him.

Not wanting to get grappled again, Link turned and dashed away from the tall grass. As he ran through, more and more ropes kept rising from the grass, each threatening to grab him. With swift strokes of his sword, they were cut down, leaving a green, slimy mess all over the leaves of the grass.

_ What are these things!_ Link rolled away and headed down the path. Shivers went down his spine as he thought of being choked to death by hundreds of those ropes like creatures. Not looking back, he kept running, not stopping for anything, until he reached a fork in the woods. Left or right, with the left path dipping slightly down a hill.

Carefully, yet with haste, Link slid down the left path. Before him was another long passage that opened out into a large field. It was covered in large, bent roots of the tree—some large enough for the islander to pass under.

Suddenly, his foot crushed something hard, making a loud cracking noise. He stepped back and looked to see what his foot had smashed. There, on the ground, was a broken skull of a human. Although he had seen blood and death before, for some odd reason, he was horrified to see the skull. Then he looked up and was terrified by what he saw.

The whole field was littered in human bones. _What the...? What happened here? A war?_ _That __can't be possible, this place was sealed away. Wasn't it?_ Anxiety ran through every nerve of his body. He wondered how the bones could have possibly ended up in the Forbidden Woods. _Unless... _an image of a large, ugly creature came to his mind, gnawing on a human skull. _... they were food?_

Shuddering at the image, Link licked his lips. Breathing in, he made his way forward across the field, bones cracking underneath his every step. He didn't know where he was heading, and merely followed his intuition.

There was a sudden scurrying noise behind him, and he looked, but saw nothing. _That was... creepy._ He wondered if he was being followed by something. _Most likely, I am._ He breathed in and drew his sword and shield, glancing around for any signs of life.

Link gazed around for minutes, yet there was nothing there that could have made that scurrying noise, as if multiple legs had been brushing against the ground. Gripping his sword tightly, he turned around again to face where he was going when he realized that he could not tell from which direction he had come from.

_Oh great, I'm lost. I wonder how in Hyrule I'm going to get back?_ Then, there was that scurrying noise again from behind. Link spun around, sword brandished and teeth clenched. He didn't bother to wipe off the sweat on his face as he peered around, looking for the source of the noise. But because he couldn't see very far, there was little he could do but stare into the darkness.

Whatever it was, it had the advantage.

-S-

It had been several hours since the girl named Tetra had stopped accepting Grandma's soup. With every passing hour, the young girl seemed paler and paler. Grandma had never felt so frustrated in all her life. _Link's gone, and could even be dead. Those pirates have yet to return and there's nothing I can do for the girl anymore!_

She sighed, and sat back in her rocking chair. Link had to live, if he died because of that monster... no, she didn't want to think about it. She looked over at Tetra resting in the lower bunk. _What is it about this girl... that Link sees?_

Grandma imagined Tetra without that pale skin and saw a lovely young girl in her place. It brought a tear to her eye, as she recalled Link falling to his knees before Tetra, and stuttering her name in despair. Then she remembered the determination he had to save the girl. _He cares, in a way I've never seen before not with Aryll or even me._

Almost surprised by this sudden revelation, Grandma stopped herself from gasping; Aryll was sleeping in the bunk above Tetra, and she didn't want to disturb her. Now, if anything, she hoped that Link would live... and return to help nourish his bond with Tetra.

"You seem occupied," a voice whispered to her right. Grandma looked over her shoulder and saw the large moblin wizard standing in the corner.

"Please, don't worry about me," Grandma said politely. "I'm just thinking about my grandson, and whatever relationship he has with this pirate."

The moblin wizard remained silent, and Grandma could tell that he was pondering something.

"... Rashu, was it?"

He looked up. "Yes," he said. "Forgive me, your words merely provoked some private thoughts of my own." Rashu's eyes wandered over to Tetra. "I admire your grandson, he is filled with courage and honor. I have yet to see such in anyone of his age."

"Thank you. I also admire him," Grandma said. "I always have. I just... hope he does not die."

"Fear not." Rashu placed a hand on her shoulder. "I believe... no, I have faith that Link will survive."

Grandma smiled weakly. "I hope that you're right."

-S-

Link had tried everything he could think of to see—he had swiped at the darkness with his sword, trying to clear it—he had broken off a lose branch and lit it, but the light only revealed thick darkness. _This is... like smoke... but it's completely black!_

Soon, the darkness had covered him completely, and he barely see his hand in front of his face. He heard the scuttling ahead of him, and instinctively, he jumped back. However, as he did, he slammed himself into what he thought was a raised root, and he landed on ground.

The scuttling came closer. Link could not manage to think of anything to clear the darkness. _If only I could control the air in here. … wait a minute!_ Putting his shield on his back, he frantically searched for the _Wind Waker_ in the darkness. Within seconds, he found the white baton in his adventurer's pouch and pulled it out with his right hand.

Keeping the Master Sword in his left, Link conducted the air to blow the black darkness away. As he swung the Wind Waker back and forth in quick motions, the darkness lifted as it was blown away by the incoming wind. _It worked! …! Uh-oh._

Before him was a giant monstrosity of green and red carapace and eight pincer-legs. A giant yellow eye stared right at Link, and a tail with a stinger swung above the eye in the air.

_This must be a soft-shelled Gohma!_ He immediately dropped the Wind Waker, and pulled out his shield. The stinger twitched, and Link rolled underneath the Gohma to avoid it. There was a loud _smash_ sound as the stinger hit the ground where he had been standing.

With swiftness, Link swung at the beast's carapace with his sword, only to hear an alarming _clang_ that didn't penetrate the Gohma's shell. "What the! How is that a soft-shell?" The monster slowly turned around, its fearsome jaw pincers snapping violently at him. The stinger came down again, and Link raised his shield in defense.

With a _clank_ the shield deflected the stinger's blow. Link rolled to the side, dropped his sword, and pulled out his bow. Nocking an arrow, there was only one place he could think of that had a soft spot. _Open your eye, witch._

The Gohma turned, and it opened its eye widely. _That's my cue!_ Letting go of the string, Link shot the arrow into the monster's eye. As the arrow connected, the monster reared up on its hind legs, releasing a loud screeching, inhuman scream. Link almost covered his ears in shock, but he saw something more surprising—there was a large purple sac on the underside of the abdomen. _The venom sac!_

Dropping his bow, and picking up his sword, he ran over to the Gohma and attempted to sever the sac from its body. However, as Link reached the Gohma, it slammed down onto ground, almost crushing him to death, and the stinger came down.

With the stinger upon him, Link knew he had to react or die. Quickly, he brought up his shield again, and blocked the stinger. But, this time, the stinger didn't bounce off the shield. Instead, it pushed against the shield, pressing him into the ground.

Link was sweating; his heart was pumping at a rate that shouldn't have been possible. _No! I can't get stung! I can't die! I have to save Tetra!_ Suddenly, the large pincers grabbed him from either side and tried to wrestle the shield from from his right arm while pulling him closer to the Gohma's jaws.

Unable to move his legs, Link used all his strength to throw the Master Sword into the monster's bleeding eye. The sword flew from his hands and slammed into a tree root next to the Gohma. The stinger continued to press into Link's shield while the jaws came closer to his body.

Out of options, Link didn't know what to do. _I've failed... wait... the arrow!_ It was still sticking in the eye of the Gohma. He allowed himself to be drawn even closer before reaching out with his left hand and grabbing the arrow. With the force of his hand, Link pulled the arrow down like a lever. The arrow snapped and the Gohma threw him across the room and onto the ground next to his bow. Again, the monster let out a piercing scream of agony.

Link was catching his breath as he looked up at the Gohma. Instead of attacking him, it was busy trying to get the remains of the arrow out of its bleeding eye with no success. Quickly, he ran over to the tree root, and pulled the Master Sword out of it. With one swift move, Link rolled underneath the surprised Gohma and slashed at the sac.

The sword's blade cut the sac loose, and the Gohma reared up again in pain. Link was about to reach out for the sac when he felt the wind on his back pick up; the monster was about to fall on him. Quickly, he rolled to the right, and watched it slam into the ground, missing the venom sac by an inch.

_I've got to finish it now!_ Link thought. But before he could react, the Gohma scurried over to him with surprising speed and raised its claws at him. They came down so fast that he couldn't dodge or raise his shield in time. The claws slashed through Link's clothes and cut him down the sides.

Pain seared through his body, and he would have fell unconscious, but instead, he pushed himself on. This time, he would not lose the same way he lost to Ganondorf.

He jumped up into the air, and stabbed his sword into the Gohma's eye. The creature screamed in pain as the blade broke through the surface, and Link pulled the sword out and jumped over and behind the Gohma. He was about to sever the stinger when the abdomen of the monster released a black cloud of darkness.

Before the darkness could cover the room, Link rolled over to the Wind Waker, dropped his shield, and grabbed the baton. Immediately, with swift strokes—not bothering to be elegant—he blew the darkness away with the wind.

The Gohma spun around with speed that Link had never seen before. Its bleeding eye was squinting at him. _So, if you can't see, neither will you let me, huh?_ he thought. Then, he dashed forward at the monster and rolled to the right all the way around it to its backside. There, Link leaped up into the air, and with a spinning strike, severed the stinger from the Gohma's body.

It screamed again, this time so painfully loud that Link thought he was going to lose his hearing. But the scream died down as the Gohma began to wobble left and right. Knowing he had move, Link did a single backflip and landed his foot on a bone, nearly tripping.

The Gohma slowly turned around to face him, but the creature could not stay on its legs. Instead, it fell to the ground and closed its eye.

Link waited a few moments, watching the Gohma carefully for any motion from it. Then, he slowly approached the creature, and watched. No movement. He tapped the eye with his sword. No movement. With one brave effort, he kicked the monster in the eye. Still no movement.

Sighing with relief, Link took a minute to catch his breath before gathering his things, his shield, the Wind Waker, and the bow. He walked over to the venom sac located near the root the Gohma's body was near to, and picked it up. When took hold of it, he had to jump back because purple venom spewed out from the sac. It missed him by an inch, but he was safe.

The venom had a vile, sharp stench to it, and the sac felt disgustingly slimy. He pulled out his empty bottle and put the sac into carefully to avoid getting more venom on him. He then stopped the top of the bottle and placed it in his adventurer's pouch.

_Now... I have to get out of here._ Link thought with dismay. He was concerned with the deep wounds he had received, and how much blood he had lost. It also had taken him at least an hour to get to where he was now, and he wasn't sure how much time Tetra had left.

Then, he thought of something. He had recited the Creation to the Great Deku Tree, and wondered if that could help him somehow. Yet, he could not think of how it would save him and Tetra. "I wish the Great Deku Tree could hear me," he said out-loud.

Then, a voice came to his heart. "_Of course I can hear you._" Link's jaw dropped."_When you recited the Creation to me, it created a mental link between you and I. I have been watching you traverse the Forbidden Woods, and fight the cursed Gohma. Because you are so wounded, you have no time to leave. Let me carry you out of the Woods._"

Suddenly, the roots themselves in the forest began to move. To Link's astonishment, the roots gathered around him and then below him. The ceiling of the Forbidden Woods opened up, and the roots lifted him above it.

There, he could see the stars in the sky, and in the distance, a dim light rising over the east horizon. _Oh no! I have to hurry! Tetra's going to die!_ He wanted to run across the top of the sealed Woods, but the roots carried him so quickly across it that he didn't need to. Besides, he was beginning to feel faint from the loss of blood, soon he would be unconscious.

Soon, he found himself being placed in front of the Great Deku Tree. The roots receded back into the Woods, leaving Link with the guardian of the forest.

"How did you control-" Link began to ask.

"Later, my child!" The Deku Tree said. "Wash yourself in the streams at my side to cleanse your wounds!"

Link did exactly as the guardian commanded, and walked over to the streams of clean water near the Tree's roots. He immediately dropped down into the water and bathed himself and his clothes, and he felt like he was being purified.

He was about to ask for help, but it seemed like the Deku Tree had prepared for this. For out of his branches came a legion of fairies, they encircled Link with their light and without delay, his wounds closed. Within seconds, he felt revitalized, as if all the blood he lost had returned to him and he stood up on his feet.

Amazed by the power of the fairies, he was about to ask the Deku Tree how they had healed him, but then the image of Tetra's pale face came into mind.

"Deku Tree!" He turned to face the guardian. "How do I get to Outset Island quickly? I need to get there before the sun rises, or else Tetra might die!"

The Great Deku Tree's face appeared concerned. "By sea, there is no way," he said. Link nearly fell onto the ground with despair. "However... by wind, you can get there swiftly. And you have power over wind."

Link felt his hope renewed with those words. _The Wind Waker! So, that's the key!_

"Before you leave," the Deku Tree said. "I must give something to you."

"What? But I don't have time for-" Link protested.

"Take it, Link," the guardian said. "You proved your courage by besting the Forbidden Woods, so you are worthy of it. It is a pendant left by the Hero of Time long ago."

Before Link could say anything else, something green dropped from large branches onto the ground before him. He approached the object, which was indeed a pendant with a green stone. The stone shimmered in the starlight as if it had been polished recently.

_ The Hero of Time... left this behind? _Slowly, Link picked up the pendant and examined it. Attached to the stone was a golden necklace made of chains. There was no rust, no dirt, nothing that seemed to tarnish its simple beauty. He looked at the Deku Tree. "What is it?"

"I am sorry, I would tell you more, but your friend's lifeline is growing shorter by the minute. Quickly now," the Deku Tree said to him. "Go to Saria and Mido and speak with them. They will know what you need to learn in order to transport yourself to Outset Island."

"Right." Link pocketed the pendant, and then ran up the path through the stone pass into the large grassy opening in the forest. The kokiris had all come out of their tree houses and seemed to be conversing with each other in a large group. Link recognized Mido and Saria in the center of the group, and he called out their names.

All of the kokiris looked very startled; like Link was a poe that had returned from the Forbidden Woods to haunt them. Even Mido and Saria looked frightened.

"What? What's wrong?" Link asked.

"Y-you're alive, Link?" Saria said. "That... can't be possible. How would you get out of the Forbidden Woods alive?"

"But... I am alive! Look, you can touch me if you want. I'm living flesh and blood."

No one moved for a moment, and there was absolute silence. Then, Saria slowly walked over to Link, and touched his arm. Mido looked alarmed. "Saria!" he called out. "What are you doing?" The islander wanted to slam his shield across the kokiri's head, but refrained himself.

_Didn't the Deku Tree tell him to not distrust me?_

"You... are alive...!" Saria said. She put her hands to her face and took a few steps back. The other kokiris, even Mido, stared in awe at him. "That's... amazing! Now, you can save your friend!"

"I don't know... she might already be dead," Link said, looking down.

"What? Don't give up that easily!" Mido said. He folded his arms and looked sternly at the islander. "You just came out of the Forbidden Woods alive. You definitely have the strength to save her, if you want."

"Well... I need your help. You and Saria, Mido," Link said. "The Great Deku Tree told me to find you two. You know how to get me to Outset Island quickly somehow. … using this." He pulled out the Wind Waker from his pouch and there were gasps all around the group.

"The Wind Waker," Saria said slowly. The islander nodded at her. "I thought it was a myth..."

"Then that means, you have to travel by wind to get to your island," Mido added. There was a short pause before he said, "all right. Saria and I will show you the way. Follow us, Link." He motioned to Saria, and then to the group. The silent kokiris separated and allowed Mido and Saria to pass.

_How do they know how to use the Wind Waker if they only know it as a story?_ The islander nodded at them slowly, and then followed them to a cliff that was somewhat hidden behind a house. There was another cliff ahead of them that was very tall, but had roots growing down the front of it. Mido, Saria, and Link took hold of the roots and began to climb up to the top.

When they reached the top, there was an opening ahead of them in the forest. Mido and Saria led Link over to it, and as they passed through the bushes, the smell of the salty sea came into his nose.

A little surprised, Link discovered that he was now standing on a tall cliff far above the ocean. He was somewhere in the southeastern part of Hyrule from the direction of the rising sun. Mido and Saria stopped and turned to face him.

With the Wind Waker in hand, Link asked, "so what do I do? What's supposed to happen?"

"Well, you need to be transported by the power of wind," Saria explained. "Not only will you be transported by it, you will, for a short period of time, transform into the wind itself. With the Wind Waker, you should be able to conduct yourself to your island."

"How... how do you know all of this?" Link asked. "You said that you thought the Wind Waker was just a myth."

"The Great Deku Tree taught us..." Mido began. "That in a time of rising darkness, there would be one to control wind and another to control time who would come to pierce the darkness. He said that the one who controlled wind would carry a white baton with him."

_What...? Really? 'Pierce the darkness?' Is the darkness Ganondorf? And who is the 'other' that controls time?_ So many questions flooded Link's mind, but he had to stay on track of his task. "So... how do I turn into wind then?"

Saria pulled out her wooden ocarina. "Listen to this song, and then conduct me while playing it. The Great Deku Tree taught me this song and told me that some day, I would need to use it." She smiled weakly. "I guess now is that time."

With that, Saria put her mouth to the ocarina and began to play. It was a strange melody, different from the one that she played while Link had been in the Lost Woods. The melody carried an atmosphere of a caring friendship. When the song finished, she nodded at him.

"Okay, do you understand the song?" she asked. Link nodded. "Try to conduct me then. If it works like its supposed to, you'll transform into wind and be able to travel to your island."

Link raised the Wind Waker and his right hand. "Ready," he said. And with that, Saria began to play again.

Immediately, he followed along with the Wind Waker, conducting Saria as she played. As the song continued, Link began to feel a very strange sensation all over his body. He felt lighter, and began to believe that he could fly into the sky. However, he kept conducting even until the song was finished.

When it was over, Saria smiled at him, and said, "good luck, Link, and good-bye." The two walked away, back into the forest.

Link wanted to nod at her as she left, but realized he no longer had a body! He felt very wispy, thin, and not all together. Yet, at the same time he saw the Wind Waker in his left hand, and felt like he could control it.

_ I'm... wind! Just like they said! But if that's true... then I don't have much time before I'm not __wind anymore._ Using the Wind Waker, he conducted himself, and soon found himself flying through the sky at immense speed. He directed the wind slightly to southwest, and flew in that direction. Within minutes, he saw the familiar silhouette of Outset Island in the distance.

As he drew closer, he felt himself grow heavier and heavier. _I need to hurry!_ But he was beginning to slow down. Fortunately, Outset was now in full view and he was nearly above it.

Suddenly, Link felt himself come back together and he fell. Splashing deep into water, he swam to the surface, only to find himself facing the beach of his home. The pirate ship was docked at the small dock next to Aryll's Lookout, and he could see figures inside their houses. Most likely, they were awakening.

With swift strokes of his arms, Link swam towards his home.


	23. Chapter 22: The Sun Rises

Chapter 22: The Sun Rises

The pirates had returned just a few hours ago. Now, Rashu watched anxiously at the nearly dead Tetra, laying in Link's bed. If he was right about the time, she had an hour to live.

The pirates were gathered in the house. Gonzo was watching Tetra with worried eyes, sitting on a stool next to the bed. Senza was standing near the doorway, his eyes closed, and his arms folded. Niko was on the second floor above them—Rashu could hear some quiet sobbing from there. Zuko was leaning against the wall furthest from Tetra, and Mako was standing next to him—pretending to be reading. But Rashu could see his eyes constantly look up at where the pirate captain was.

Nudge was the only one absent. He said he had to do something on the ship, but Rashu was not convinced. _He doesn't want to see her die,_ the moblin thought. He looked at the top bunk. Somehow, Aryll had managed to fall asleep, unlike the rest in the house; however, she seemed to be having nightmares, for she tossed and turned consistently throughout the night. And Link's Grandmother was resting in her chair.

No one in the house had said a word for a few hours. The only sound was the soft mumbling coming from Aryll, and the gentle crying of Niko. The sun was rising in the east, and its light was carrying itself into the room. It would soon be morning.

From what Rashu had gathered from the pirates after they had returned; Tetra was the reason they were still together. She was their everything—their driving purpose in what they did. Despite her age, she was an incredible leader, and without her, the pirates would be nothing.

_Not to mention they practically raised her, but now..._

Rashu's thoughts were interrupted as the door swung open suddenly. Senza had to move to the left to get out of its way. Everyone looked at the doorway, and Niko stopped sobbing. There, standing in the doorway was a dripping wet Link.

The moblin smiled. _The very person we've all wanted to see._

-S-

Link gasped for air as he entered the house. After swimming as hard as he could onto the beach, he had ran as fast as he could to the house. He had nearly broken the door by opening it with such force, but a house could be repaired.

As he caught his breath, he noticed that everyone in the house was staring at him expectantly.

"Well? Did ya get it, Link?" Gonzo asked eagerly. "P-please tell us ya did, mate."

The islander smiled. "I got it. I have the venom sac."

There was a loud cheer from the pirates. Niko had stopped crying, and Mako had pulled his nose out of his book, both were cheering along with the others. Grandma was smiling proudly toward Link, and Rashu gave his nod of approval.

"Huh? What's going on?" said Aryll's voice from around the corner. "Why is everyone so loud?"

"Because he has it, Aryll!" Zuko said. "Yer brother, he got the venom sac! Now, we can save Miss Tetra!"

"Oh! Really?" Link saw his sister's tired face peek around the corner. "Yay, big brother! I knew you could do it." They exchanged smiles.

Rashu smiled pleasantly, and Link knew that he had exceeded the old moblin's expectations. "Good... very good, Link. You continue to surprise me. Come now, let me see it."

Without any hesitance, Link pulled out of his pouch the bottle stuffed with the Gohma's venom sac. Purple liquid seeped out of the sac as the bottle pushed against its sides. As Rashu extended his hand, Link placed it in his hand.

"You can save Tetra now, right?" he asked the moblin.

Rashu was silent, and even in the light, Link could not see his face clearly. The smile faded from the islander's face when the moblin spoke.

"I don't know." There was a loud, collective gasp in the room. "Tetra... has less than an hour left to live. It may take me longer than that to make the antidote."

Link's jaw slowly opened in shock. _No!_ he thought. _I worked so hard! I fought so hard!_ "What... what... then what did I do all that for! I nearly died in the Forbidden Woods trying to save her! That Gohma... it almost got me, too!" He glared at Rashu. "You said... it could work! That I could save her!"

"Calm down!" Rashu said. He waved his hand in front of Link. "Give me some time. I did not say that it would take me more than an hour to make for certain. I just don't know. However, I will try. ... Tetra's life is..." he paused. "... nevermind. It is not time for you to hear that."

"What do you mean?" Link asked. "I'm confused. You and the Deku Tree both keep hiding things from me. I mean, look at this!" He pulled out the emerald pendant that the guardian spirit had given him. "He gave this to me after defeating the Gohma, but he never told me _why_ or what it's _for._"

"Link... you have to trust me," Rashu said. "And the Deku Tree. Not everything must be revealed to you at once. Please, I need to go outside and fetch herbs around the island in order to make the antidote. We have very little time." Link saw the moblin glance at him. "Besides... your clothes are torn. You should get those repaired." Then, the islander watched as Rashu left his house.

Turning around, he faced the pirates, Aryll, and his Grandmother. He noticed that his family looked very concerned. _That's probably because of the condition of my hero's clothes._ "Hey, it's okay," Link said. "I got wounds where the clothes are ripped, but the Deku Tree healed me with a group of fairies. I'm fine."

"But them's like the wounds ya got from fighting Ganondorf in the tournament, matey!" Zuko exclaimed. "Ya almost died..."

Aryll squealed in horror, and Grandma gasped. Link recalled that he had not mentioned how dire the wounds that Ganondorf had given him were when he told his story. _I didn't want them to worry._ "Yeah, well, I'm fine now. Don't worry." he looked at his sister and smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry," he repeated. "I'll be just fine. ... lemme see Tetra."

He moved towards the bunk, but his Grandmother stopped him. "Wait, dear," she said. "Your clothes... they're all torn! Let me fix them for you."

"Isn't Tetra's life a little more important right now, Grandma?" He asked.

"Please, Link, there's nothing we can do but wait for Rashu to make the antidote. Where are your change of clothes?"

Link paused, and then let out an aggravated sigh. "All right, Grandma... They're on the pirate ship." _I think they are, anyway._ "I'll go there, change, and come back."

"Be sure to say hello to Nudge for us, Link," Senza said from behind him. The islander turned around. "He's kept himself in that ship for a couple of hours now. I think he's afraid. Give him the good news, will ya?"

Link nodded. "Y-yeah. I'll go, but first..." he was anxious to see Tetra. He dashed around the pirates and ran over to his bunk. There, Tetra was laying in his bed, looking worse than before. Her skin was completely pale now, and it was whiter, and more deathly looking than he could have ever imagined.

_ What if... Rashu can't do it?_ Link bit his lip. He walked up to Tetra and put his hand on her shoulder. _I wish I could heal her... right now._ He removed his hand, frowned, and walked out of the house, avoiding the gazes of the others.

-S-

After boarding the pirates' ship via the gangplank, Link walked over to the door to the quarters, which further led to Tetra's cabin. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Knocking on the door, he heard a loud voice from inside.

"What? Who is it? Go away!" It was Nudge, he hadn't even bothered to characteristically clear his throat.

"Wait! It's me, Link!" He continued to knock on the door. "Please let me in, Nudge! I only need to change my clothes! I won't bother you, promise."

"Nice one! Do you have a bridge to sell me as well? For fifty rupees, perhaps?"

Link groaned. "Nudge! You know it's me."

"If you really are Link, then what's the password Miss Tetra told you?"

"Swordfish." The islander was tapping his foot with his arms folded. The image of the nearly dead Tetra hung in his mind. She had told him this password while they were escaping to the ship after snagging the _Ocarina of Time_. He could still remember her words clearly.

_"If you ever need to get on the ship when the door's locked. Use that password. You'll get in, kid."_

The door swung open as he said the password, and he walked in. To his surprise, Nudge was on the ground, as if he had been caught off-guard.

"What...? How did you get on the ground, Nudge?"

The pirate cleared his throat. "Well, the door is... magically sealed. If you say the password at it, it will open. I didn't expect it to be you." He stood up and dusted off his clothes. Link noticed that his eyes seemed watery.

"Nudge? Are you...?"

"Oh my! How embarrassing!" Nudge wiped his eyes and looked away from the islander.

"You're scared Tetra's going to die, aren't you?"

"Me? Scared? I'm not scared of anything! I... I-I'm sure Miss Tetra w-will be f-fine..." His voice tapered off.

Link smiled. "It's okay. Tetra's going to live. I got the venom sac, and Rashu's working on an antidote now."

"Really?" Nudge asked, looking back at the islander. "Are you serious? She's going to live? Praise to the goddesses!" He paused. "Oh. Don't tell the other pirates I said that."

Link nodded. "Right. I'm here to find my orange pants and blue shirt. Have you seen them?"

"Ah!" Nudge cleared his throat. "They should be down the stairs in the hold with all the other clothes."

"Thank you. ... Nudge, you should probably go back to my house. The other pirates are worried about you."

"I would," Nudge said. "But someone has to watch the ship. I'll stay here... tell me when Miss Tetra has recovered, will you, mate?"

Link nodded, and then headed down into the hold.

-S-

After changing into his blue lobster shirt and orange pants, Link left the pirate ship and headed to his home. When he reached it, he found Rashu sitting outside, looking rather grim. The bottle was in his right hand, and sitting on his knee was a bowl, filled with a strange mixture. It had an odd, sharp smell to it—not unpleasant, just strange. The moblin wizard was stirring the mixture with his left hand.

"Rashu?"

The moblin looked up. "... Link." He shook his head. "I don't think I can do it in time." He looked frustrated. "... I'm sorry."

_No!_ "Rashu, you have to be kidding me!" Link said, dropping his torn hero's clothes on the ground. "Please don't give up. Please! You... you said something about Tetra's life earlier. Her life is important, right? Right? We can't give up on her!"

"She has... less than a half-hour to live, Link. The herbs I need lay in the hilltop forest on your island here. And you know..."

Link slumped his shoulders. "... Orca cut the bridge that led to that forest to protect us." _This... this can't be happening! Tetra! Oh, Tetra!_ Tears dripped down from his eyes and fell into the grass below. Gripping his hands into fists, Link kicked the green clothes on the ground and began to leave Rashu.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to be alone," Link said, trying to resist sobbing. Without another word, he ran across the island and ran up the natural ramp leading to the summit of the hill on the eastern isle. He thought he heard Rashu say something, but he couldn't hear the moblin by the time he reached the foot of the hill.

He climbed to the very top, and gazed out to the other hill where the forest lay. There was no way to get across. Even with the _Wind Waker, _Link could not turn himself into wind and fly across without a song.

Groaning, Link fell onto the grass flat on his back, and stared up into the clear sky. He noticed the sun rising in the distance, giving light to all the world. There wasn't a cloud that he could see. _What are you so blasted happy about, day?_ he thought angrily. _There's nothing to be happy about... not anymore._

He closed his eyes, letting the tears slide down his cheeks. He didn't want to open them. He just wanted to stay there—forever.

-S-

Rashu frowned. He had done everything he could. The mixture just needed one more ingredient to make the antidote. _I'm so close! Why? It wasn't supposed to turn out this way! Not... not the way I saw it._

Then, something shiny caught the moblin's eye as he looked at the torn hero's clothes on the ground before him. He stopped stirring, and placed the bowl on the ground. Reaching over, he grabbed the glimmering object from the clothes.

It was the pendant that Link had shown him earlier.

_... The pendant of Courage..._ His mind recalled all the words Link had said to him about the Deku Tree giving him this pendant, and then pondered for a moment the trials that the young islander went through, and the ordeals he faced in order to get the Gohma's venom sac.

_He was successful... yet why can't I be?_ He stroked the back of the pendant with his finger, and realized there was something sticking to it that was soft to the touch. He turned the pendant over, and gasped before smiling and feeling relieved at what he saw.

-S-

Link didn't know how long he had laid there on the hilltop. His eyes were still closed, and the tears kept coming. Wallowing in his sorrow, he wished for a miracle. Something had to happen. Were his prayers that he said over a day ago in vain? Were the goddesses mocking him?

He sat up, and pressed his face into his knees. He heard footsteps moving across the grass toward him, but Link paid it little mind, and just let himself weep quietly.

"Hey, kid!" said a very familiar voice. "Why are you crying?"

"... Go away," he said, sniffling. "I want to be alone."

"Now, why's that?"

"Because my best friend is going to die. Haven't you heard? That should be news that's already all over the island. Please leave me."

There was a pause, and the wind blew through his hair. A voice whispered in his ear, "you really want me to go? I thought you liked having me around, Link." The voice sounded so familiar, and then...

It clicked in his mind, and he looked up.

There, staring back at him with her characteristic smirk was Tetra. Her skin was a healthy-looking tan, and her blue eyes glistened with life. She had her head tilted to one side as she stared at him.

Link stared, completely dumbfounded. However, he shook his head and looked away. _I fell asleep, and I'm dreaming._

"What?" The dream-like Tetra asked. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"It's just a dream," Link said. "This isn't real."

"Oh...?" Her voice trailed off with a mischievous note. "Let me see... do dreams ever do... _this_?"

Suddenly, Link felt a kick slam into his back. "Owch!" He stood up and faced Tetra. "Why'd you do that? That hurts!"

"I know it does, but it also hurts when you say stupid things like that. Then again..." She turned around, and then peered over her shoulder with a cute smile. "That's what makes you, you, doesn't it, Link?"

He paused, and felt his back. It was still sore from the kick—a real kick. Link had felt pain before in a dream, but it never lasted like this. "... Tetra? You're... alive?" He wiped the tears from his eyes, and stared at her in shock.

"Wow, it took you that long to figure it out?" Tetra laughed. "Your moblin friend healed me over an hour ago. I was looking for you, silly."

"Looking for me...?"

"I was... a little worried. You shouldn't let a girl worry, you know?"

"Err... well..."

Tetra walked over to him and put her hand over Link's mouth. She leaned over and whispered into his ear. "No excuses, Link." And then, to his surprise, he felt her lips press against his cheek. "Thank you... for saving me."

She stepped back from him and grinned. Link assumed she was grinning at his expression—he could feel the heat on his cheeks, and his mouth was opening and closing. Finally, he found the words to speak.

"Y-you're... welcome, Tetra."

She giggled. "Come on, silly. Let's go back to your place."

-S-

As Tetra returned to the house where she had laid for several hours, she saw that her boys were waiting for her and Link. Nudge, Senza, Gonzo, Mako, Zuko, and Niko were all there. They were extremely cheerful to see her alive. She recalled the moment she woke up from her near-death slumber.

-S-

Tetra slowly opened her eyes, and began to feel life drift into her soul. She looked to her right, and saw a large moblin in a red robe sitting next to her. He had a bowl in one hand with a strange purplish green mixture. In the other, he held a wooden spoon. He looked surprised.

"Rashu..." she said. "What... happened to me?" She still felt very weak from whatever had sickened her.

"You were poisoned with a deadly poison by Ganondorf," he explained. "A soft-shelled Gohma's venom—the most deadly poison in the world. You only had ten hours to live when I discovered what it was."

_Ten hours?_ she thought curiously. "Then how am I still alive?"

"Is that Miss Tetra? Oy! Mateys, come look! Miss Tetra's alive!" the voice of Gonzo loudly exclaimed. There was a sudden stomping of footsteps as her boys gathered around her. They all looked extremely happy to see her. She gazed around, and realized she was in a house, in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed.

"Give her some room, men," Rashu said. "I know your excited, but the antidote has not fully cleansed out the toxin." He pointed at her bare arm. Tetra looked at it, and noticed that her skin was pale in color, but not sickly pale.

She smiled. "It's all right, boys. I'm going to be okay. I'm sure I'll be up and about in a minute or something."

"Ya gave us a good scare there, Miss," Gonzo said, backing off with the rest of the pirates at Rashu's command, but still watching her. "We thought you were done for."

"Come on, now," Tetra said, smirking, she was starting to feel better and better as she spoke. "You boys know it takes more than poison to stop me." She looked back at the moblin. "Rashu, how long has been since I was poisoned?"

"Almost ten hours, Tetra," he said. "Link arrived in time to help me make the antidote for you."

She sat up. "Link?"

"Indeed. He did the impossible. He went to Hyrule, and into the Kokiri forest. There, he sought out the Great Deku Tree and entered the Forbidden Woods at his permission. Inside, he fought, and killed a soft-shelled Gohma in order to get the venom sac. It's the only way to cure this poison."

"... He... He did all that for... me?" She felt a little stunned, and very flattered. Rashu nodded.

"My big brother is so brave!" interjected a young female voice.

She peered over Rashu's shoulder and saw a little girl with golden-blond hair—very much like Link's. Her hair was neatly combed and set into two pigtails. She was wearing a light blue gown with a flower painted on it. She couldn't be any older than seven. "Hi, there! I'm Aryll!"

"Aryll? Oh! Link told me about you," Tetra said. "I'm Tetra. It's nice to meet you." She winked at Link's little sister. She looked to Aryll's right, and saw an older lady. She was smiling pleasantly, either at Tetra, or the situation. She had white hair that was pulled into a ball and tied around by a ribbon. She was also wearing a red robe with a dark-purple sash wrapped around her waist.

"It's good to see you up and about, dear," the older lady said. "I'm Link's Grandmother. I want to thank you for your selfless acts of kindness you've shown him."

Tetra nodded, hiding a embarrassed smirk. _Not everything I've done to him was kind or selfless._ "Um... you're welcome. Thanks for keeping me safe here. Wait... this is Link's house, right? Then..." Then she smirked. "Heh. I never thought I'd ever visit Outset Island before I met your grandson."

"Miss Tetra?" said Senza's voice to the left. "Are you feeling well?"

"Couldn't be better! You boys stop worrying, okay?" Warmth filled her heart. _Thanks for caring so much, guys._ She looked at Rashu again. The moblin had lowered the bowl and the spoon, he had an interested expression on his face.

"So... where is Link, anyway? I thought he'd be the first to see me wake up."

Rashu lowered his head. "Well... last I saw him, he ran up the hill to the east. You are looking healthy enough now. Why don't you go look for him?"

_Huh? He ran? Why?_ Instead of asking the question, Tetra merely nodded, and got out of the bed. "I'll be back-" before she could finish her sentence, each one of the pirates came up to her and hugged her in a large group. She heard Aryll gasp, and Link's Grandmother giggle. "Ack! Hey, not in front of people! This is embarrassing!" _... I'm glad to see you guys, too._

-S-

After that, there had been joyful cheering and party-like behavior at the house. During the celebration, Tetra had slipped out of the house to find Link.

Outset had been very different from any of the islands that she had been to. It was like the island was divided in two, and only a small bridge on the bottom connecting the two parts. However, that didn't stop her from finding Link quickly. Her sense of direction, due to the location of the rising sun had made it easy for her to find the eastern hill.

Now that she had found him, and returned with him, the pirates were all petitioning for a party due to Tetra's survival. Their excitement over the situation almost hid the tiredness in their eyes. Like Link, they had stayed up all night for her—Tetra could tell.

"I think this calls for a celebration!" Mako said.

"Aye!" Niko said. "We'll have some games in the hold of the ship fer everyone!"

"You and yer games, Niko," Zuko said. Although, he was grinning quite pleasantly.

Tetra couldn't help but laugh. _Those are my boys._ "All right... all right. I suppose we could have a party, but it needs to be short. You guys, and you, too, kid..." she added, poking Link's shoulder. "... need some sleep. You look like you've been awake all night."

Link let out a yawn. "Yeah, you're right. But... wait, what about the Ocarina of Time? Doesn't Ganondorf have it now?"

Tetra stopped. She had almost forgotten about the Royal Family's treasure, and the danger that Hyrule was in. _That is, if Ganondorf has the Ocarina of Time._ She turned and faced the islander. "Well... yes, you're correct. We do have to worry about Ganondorf. I don't know if he managed to find the Ocarina or not, but after that trial... there's a good chance that he has it!"

"... Sorry, Miss," Gonzo spoke for the whole group. "We shoulda been stronger."

"Don't worry about it," Tetra said to them. "You boys were strong enough under Ganon's methods in that trial. That's all I need." They all raised their heads and smiled at her.

Tetra turned away from all of them and frowned. What was to be done? Link and her boys were tired, and needed sleep, but they had little time before Hyrule would fall into darkness. _That poison really screwed my plans up._

"Well... let's go!" Link said suddenly. "I've got the _Wind Waker__, _so we can go anywhere quickly! We can reach the mainland within a few hours and then stop Ganondorf before he gets the _Triforce_!"

She turned around and faced him. A smile spread over her face. _He... really is brave. Just like Aryll says he is. _"That's good," she said. "But... you all need sleep! I know Ganon's a major threat right now, but we can't waltz into the Temple of Time and hope for the best. Chances are that he's rested, thinking I'm dead, while you're all tired. You're in no condition to fight him for the Ocarina!"

"She is correct," said Rashu from behind the pirates. Tetra turned her head and saw the moblin magician walk pass them slowly, supporting himself with his staff. "You will all need your rest before facing Ganondorf. As one of the former advisers to the King, I know of his dark powers. You have also seen them. They are quite formidable, and without proper rest, fighting against him will avail all of you nothing."

"What do we do then?" Link asked.

"I got an idea," Senza said. "Link can get us there quickly. So... we can stay here at this island and sleep during the day. Travel by night, and reach the Temple by sunrise."

Tetra smirked. _There's my most competent man. _"Perfect! That sounds like the fastest way to get there. You boys should rest on the ship, I don't see a lot of room here for the bunch of us... unless you want to sleep under the sunlight." She looked at Link's Grandmother, and his sister. "That is... if it's all right with the locals."

Link's Grandmother nodded. "It will be quite all right. Word spreads fast on this island. People will already know why you're here."

"We'll tell them that you're nice pirates!" Aryll said. "So that they won't be scared."

Tetra nodded, and let out a laugh. "We appreciate that, Aryll." She turned to Link. "So... what are you going to do, kid?"

"Sleep like the others. Um... err..." He paused before swallowing. "Would you let me stay on the ship? ... you know... just because..."

Tetra snorted. _He wants to be around me._ "You can, but I'm not going to be on the ship all the time, Link. I think I'd rather see what your nice little island is like while you and my boys nap." She walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Relax, kay? Go sleep where you want."

A smile split on his face. "Okay..."

Tetra let go of Link's shoulders and turned back to the others. She thought she caught Aryll whispering something in her grandmother's ear. _And let the rumors begin..._ she thought as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, let's get to it, guys!" Gonzo said, and he led the rest of the pirates to the ship. Tetra watched them go, and then turned to face Link again.

"Link... I have a question for you. Why did you run away?"

"Because..." Link paused, looking bashful. "Rashu said he wouldn't be able to save you. ... I was upset."

Tetra stretched out her arms, and shrugged. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Yeah..." He yawned. "Rashu... how did you...?"

"Worry about that some other time, Link. Right now, it's best you got your rest. Ganondorf is no easy prey."

Link nodded. "Right." He looked at Tetra and smiled. "Good night. ... I guess? Heh. I'll see you later."

"Right. See you, Link," Tetra said with a wink. And with that (and blushing a little), he turned around and headed to his house. She watched as his family followed him into the little home before turning her eyes to the clear, bright morning sky.


	24. Chapter 23: Confrontation

Chapter 23: Confrontation

When Link awoke from his sleep, the sun was setting in the west. He sat up in his bed, and then got out of it. He could see his Grandmother still awake, sitting in her chair. She smiled at him as he got up.

"Good evening, Link," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's been so long since I last saw you. ... I'm going to leave again, you know, Grandma."

The smile faded from her face. "... I know. I knew that you would leave again as soon as Tetra was revived. You face something awful, my child. Here..." she stood up from her chair, and handed Link a bundle of clothes. "Your hero's clothes. You should take them with you."

"Of course. I wasn't planning to leave them here," Link said, trying to smile. It wouldn't come.

"Link?"

He turned, and saw Aryll standing in the corner. She looked very sad, and not to mention worried. "Why can't you just stay here with the nice pirate girl? Please? What if... what if that bad man tries to hurt you?"

He thought about it for a few moments, but then shook his head. "I can't stay. I just can't sit here while the whole world is in danger!" He frowned. "No, I have to go. Even if Ganon tries to kill me."

Aryll bit her lip. She looked very afraid. "But...!"

"No 'buts', Aryll."

"I..." she paused, and then with silent tears, ran up to Link and hugged him. "P-please be careful, big brother."

He patted her back, and closed his eyes, contemplating his future. _This won't be easy, but I'm not scared!_ "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right." Looking at his Grandmother, he added, "I promise to come back." Grandma smiled. It was most likely forced, but Link didn't care. He was glad to have such a caring family.

Releasing Aryll, Link walked over to his Grandmother and took the clothes from her gently. At last, he felt a smile spread over his face. Weak at first, but it grew stronger as he realized how much he would miss them again.

-S-

Link had finally changed into his hero's clothes, and gathered his equipment together. He sheathed the _Master Sword_ into its scabbard and strapped it over his back. He strapped his shield to his back over the sword, and gathered up his two pouches. He checked what he had on him: a bottle filled with water, Orca's sword, a bow with a set of arrows, a few bombs, a grappling hook, Aryll's telescope, and the _Wind Waker._

He climbed down the ladder to the lower level of his home, and looked behind himself toward his family. They stood there near the fireplace, looking sad. "Good-bye," he said. "I will be back!" He brought his arm down in front of him and closed his fist.

"Bye, Link," Aryll said, her lower lip quivering. Grandma nodded and then waved good-bye. Pausing a bit to gaze upon his family, Link finally turned around and exited his house.

He headed toward the pirate ship docked at the island; Tetra and the others would be waiting.

"Link!"

He looked behind himself to see Orca and Sturgeon walking up to him.

"Master Orca... and Sturgeon, too," he almost said to himself. "What are you doing here?"

"To wish you the best of luck," Sturgeon replied. "We're both happy to hear that the girl, Tetra, lived. However, we are a bit saddened to see you leave again."

"I wish I could bestow upon you another sword, Link," Orca said. "But it seems you already have the mightiest blade in the world, if legend is to be believed. Farewell, my student. Be sure to use your swordsmanship wisely on your journey."

"And your mind as well," Sturgeon added. "Think clearly, and always remember the things I've taught you about Hyrule. You might remember something handy in a time of need. Good-bye, my boy."

"Good-bye, Orca and Sturgeon," Link said. "Keep our home safe, please."

"As you wish, my student," Orca said.

With a nod, Link turned around and continued his walk to the pirate ship. Thoughts swirled in his mind. _Why do I feel this way? Ganondorf is a powerful sorcerer! Isn't confronting him a foolish thing to do? Yet... we have to._ The thought of all the world falling into darkness, especially Outset made Link shiver.

"Hey, kid!"

He looked up, and saw Tetra waving at him, she was smirking as usual. All the pirates were gathered behind their leader and captain. They seemed glad to see him, although their smiles were rather small.

_They must know how dangerous it is to go against Ganondorf like this,_ he thought. Still, he was glad Tetra was alive and well. "Hello, Tetra," he said as he walked up the gangplank. "What do you think of my island?"

"It's a nice place," she said. "It'd make a good vacation spot, that's for sure. Away from society and all the stresses of life." Tetra stretched out her arms and then laid one hand on the rail. "Well... are you ready, Link? Said all your good-byes?"

He nodded.

Tetra smiled. "All right, come aboard then, we're going to need that baton of yours to get to Hyrule quickly!" She walked onto the deck and Link, with the pirates, followed her. "We don't know if Ganon's got the _Ocarina of Time_ yet, but we have to see what's happening in Hyrule." She stopped before the helm and turned around. "So, everyone, to your positions! We're going to raid Hyrule again, but this time, it's going to be a raid against Ganondorf alone."

"Aye-aye, Miss!"

After removing the gangplank, the pirates took their positions; Zuko at the crow's nest, Gonzo at the helm, Senza at the catapult, Nudge and Mako on deck, and Niko below deck. Link placed himself in the middle of the deck. He was about to ready the Wind Waker when he realized something.

"Hey, Tetra, where's Rashu?"

She looked at him and shrugged. "I haven't seen him. We really need to leave, Link. The more time we waste, the more time Ganon has a chance at getting the _Triforce_. We can't allow that."

"But..."

"Link!" she growled. "We _don't_ have the time for this!"

"Fear not. I am here," a voice said. Link turned and saw Rashu resting his back on the side of the cabin. "I arrived shortly before you did. Did you really want to leave me behind?"

_That's weird. I swore he wasn't there a minute ago._

"Well, there you go, kid," Tetra said. "He's right here. Now, please, let's get the wind blowing in the right direction."

"All right." Link swung the baton around with gentle, fluid motions. Commanding the nearby wind to pick up, the flow of the wind came as he directed and blasted against the sails. With the wind pushing upon it, the ship began its journey back to Hyrule.

-S-

The voyage to Hyrule only took three hours, and soon they arrived at Kakariko Port Town on the southern end of the mainland. Without any incident, the pirates were able to dock at the port. No guards stopped them, no people looked upon the ship with horror. Instead, they passed them by.

_Strange..._ Tetra thought, leaning over the rail closest to the port. _What's going on here?_

"How are we going to get to Hyrule Castle quickly?" Link asked, standing behind her. "Hyrule Field is huge. It took us hours to pass over it just by carriage the last time we were here."

"Yes, Link. I'm aware of that," she said to him. Tetra turned around to face him. "It's going to be hard, but we're going to have to go by foot. I can't risk exposing us to the Royal Family. Even if the King sent you to rescue me from Ganondorf."

"There's got to be an easier way," Link said. "If we go by foot, it'll take us at least a couple days if I remember right."

But Tetra's mind was occupied with the lack of response from the town. She turned around to face it again. It seemed lively enough; she could hear the noisy crowds, but the atmosphere was so tense, too tense for a friendly town. _This isn't right... we're well-known. How is it that we'd not be noticed? We're not in disguise this time._

"Tetra? Is everything all right?"

She paused before answering him. "No. Get the boys together. We're going to sneak into the town—something is terribly wrong."

"Huh?"

"Just do it, kid," Tetra said sternly, yet softly.

"All right," Link said, and Tetra heard his footsteps leave her after a few minutes.

She kept watching the townspeople, looking for anything suspicious, besides the obvious. _Funny, I don't even see any guards around here. Considering what we stole recently... there should be some, if not a lot of them here._

"Miss Tetra?" called a voice behind her. She spun around to see that Link had gathered the pirates together. Gonzo was the one who had spoken. "You... all right, Miss?" He must have noticed the concerned expression on her face.

"I'm... fine," Tetra lied. "Listen to me, boys. We're going to sneak into the town, so don't bring out the gangplank. Instead, we're going to swim around the ship—it's not far, don't give me those looks—and we're going to pull ourselves onto the docks on the side. Whatever you do, don't get noticed, understand?"

The pirates all nodded, and with haste, they jumped over the other side of the ship, making splashing noises as they entered it. Link remained and had a concerned look on his face.

"What is it, Link?" Tetra said. "You should hurry and go with the boys. I'll join you guys shortly."

"Tetra, no matter what... I'm going to protect you," he finally said after a long pause. "I don't want you to nearly die again."

Tetra groaned, rolled her eyes, and yet smiled. "That's kind of you, kid, but let's focus on this task, kay? Just don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"All right," he said. "I'll get going then. What are you going to do here?"

"I'm going to talk to Rashu and see if he can't use some of his magic to make the ship invisible, then I'll join you and the boys. Hurry! We don't know how much time we have."

With a nod, Link headed over to the other side of the ship and jumped into the water. Tetra sighed, and walked over to the cabin door. She knocked on it, and the door opened, revealing Rashu. The old moblin was dressed in his usual brown robe, and carrying a wooden staff with a curved top.

"What is it, young Tetra?" he asked.

"I need you to do me a favor, if you would, Rashu."

-S-

Link swam around the ship's hull. His strokes were strong and precise, making it easy to move through the water. He didn't look to see how the pirates were doing, but instead focused on reaching the shore.

As he pulled himself out of the water and onto dry ground, Link shook himself dry, making light clattering and clanging noises. He looked up, and saw that the pirates had arrived in the same spot. All of them, except Niko.

"Where is-?" Link was about to ask when he heard splashing behind him.

He turned around immediately, and saw the swabbie struggling in the water. Not bothering to ask why anyone hadn't done anything yet, he jumped into the water, and swam over to Niko. As he grabbed the pirate by the arms, Link guided him to the shore and took him above water onto the ground.

Coughing and sputtering out water, Niko finally said, "thanks, matey."

"No problem," Link said. He looked at the other pirates. _Why didn't they help?_ "Guys... why did you just-?"

"You acted faster than us, mate," Senza said.

"All right. Well, Niko's safe now, so it'll be fine. Let's get going."

"Wait, what about Miss Tetra?" Zuko asked.

"Don't worry," Link said. "She gave us the 'go ahead,' we've got to find Ganondorf before it's too late!" The pirates looked anxious, and exchanged glances with each other. With a sigh from each of them, they looked at the islander and nodded at him. _They're ready._

Link returned the gesture, and then proceeded to lead the pirates around the side of the town. It felt strange to him, sneaking around like this. He didn't understand the vibe that Tetra had about the town. _We're not wanted criminals... at least, I hope not._

Continuing to sneak around the town's walls, Link stayed a step ahead of the pirates. He took a sharp turn to the right, increasing his pace. Eventually, he and the pirates reached the northern edge of town. He peered past the walls, and saw hylian guards posted all along the entrance. _Are they... looking __for us?_

Link gave the pirates a signal to hold their position, and then looked around for a way back into the town. They would need a carriage again to get across Hyrule Field quickly, but he couldn't see a way in, nor could he think of way to get back out again without being noticed.

Suddenly, someone tapped his right shoulder, and he jumped, spinning around. He found himself face to face with Tetra, who was hanging just behind the wall.

"What the heck are you doing, kid?" She asked. "You're going to get us caught!"

"Hey, you! With the green cap!" A voice from Link's left said. He turned his head to the side quickly to see that the guards had noticed him. They were walking up to him with their spears in hand.

_Crap... it's too late now, Tetra._ "Is... there a problem?" Link asked innocently. He saw her put her palm into face after he spoke. _What do you expect me to do? Jump behind the wall and reveal all of you!_ He took a step toward the guards in order to appear like he was alone.

"Yes, there is. Where is that pirate girl you're usually with?" the middle guard asked. They all had their helmets down, so Link couldn't see their expressions. Their voices didn't sound hostile, only serious.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Link said, shrugging. He felt sweat drip down his face.

"Don't lie, kid. We've seen you with her before," the middle guard said. "Tell me where she is. Now. You don't understand the gravity of this situation, do you? Because you should."

_I don't get it! What's with the sudden hostility toward us? I thought we helped reveal that Ganondorf is a crook. Is he... controlling them?_ Link wasn't sure what to say. Finally, he spoke. "I... I don't know. I'm alone."

"Hmph. First, you claim that you don't know her, now you're claiming you know her, but don't know where she is. Very interesting. What are you trying to hide?"

"Nothing! Do you guys realize how much danger you, no, all of Hyrule is in right now?" Link said, deciding to be bold. "You can't just hang around, trying to arrest anyone you want."

"Except we're not here to arrest you," the guard removed his helmet, and Link gasped. It was James. "We're here to escort you to the castle. Because Ganondorf has shown his real colors. That was the problem, and we need your help."

"Wait, but... you were barring the entrance here! And you almost threatened my life!"

"I'm sorry you took it that way," James said. "We're on high alert right now, and so we're very tense and nervous. Most of the hylian guards are gone because they're protecting the Temple of Time. Come on, now. We need you, and Tetra more than ever."

"All right, you've got me, I was lying. Tetra and the others are right here. I was just... trying to protect them."

"I understand," James said, putting his hand on Link's shoulder. "Sorry for the hostilities. But we have to go! Come, Miss Tetra! We really need you. You were nearly tortured to death by Ganondorf and so you know him best. We'll need your help."

Finally, Tetra and the pirates came out from hiding. She looked quite annoyed. "This better not be a trap," she said. "I find it really odd that you know so much. I don't think Ganon would have told you so much."

"Except he did... and then he stabbed the King with a dagger." Link noticed that Tetra's expression suddenly became alarmed, even though, he, himself, felt quite alarmed, too. "We managed to save our Majesty from death, but Ganondorf has already made his way toward the Temple of Time.

"Link, Tetra, we need you both, as I've said before. Link, because you have the Master Sword, and Tetra, because you know so much about him. I don't think our soldiers are enough to stop him."

"All right, I'm sorry I snapped at you, James," Tetra said. "Do you have a carriage prepared?"

"We do," he said. "Come. I'll take charge of the horses myself for you, and your friends."

He nodded to the other guards, and they moved aside, allowing Link, Tetra, and the pirates access to the port town. There, a few yards away, was a carriage surrounded by a few other guards.

_ There really aren't a lot of them,_ Link thought._ This really is serious._

Quickly, Tetra, and Link got into the carriage, the pirates followed suit and got into the front and back and seats. It was a tight fit, but no one complained, not even Niko. With haste, James got onto the very front of the carriage, and commanded the horses to move. Within seconds, they were out of Kakariko Port Town and onto Hyrule Field.

-S-

Ganondorf had already dispatched the guards, they had proved little challenge for him. _A pity... I was hoping for more resistance than this. After all, this is the Triforce we're talking about here!_ He smiled as he opened the large white doors into the Temple of Time.

Inside, there were six white pillars, three on each side, holding the temple. Before the Door of Time stood a white altar with three gems in the stone recesses. Ganondorf didn't care much for them, though he knew it was from the period when the Hero of Time walked the earth.

_Yet, there is no hero to stop me. How delightful._

He took his time, casually walking through the Temple and enjoying the sights. There was no rush. The entire temple was made in white marble, and there was beautifully made red carpet running from the entrance to the the Door of Time. Tall glass windows on the higher parts of the walls brought in light into the temple, making it appear whiter than normal. On lower part of the walls were stained glass windows, depicting the battle between Majora and the Hero of Time.

In the middle was a pedestal, on which the Royal Family had kept the Ocarina of Time. The Door of Time itself was ornately designed. There was an image of a sun engraved into it, shining its rays onto the image of a land—Hyrule.

_Soon, soon, it will be my land, and there's no one to stop me. Especially since Tetra is dead, and that annoying boy was probably killed trying to save her in some complicated way. How foolish. _He sighed with satisfaction. _I think it is time._

He approached the Door of Time with the ocarina in his hand. Placing the instrument to his mouth, he began to play. Soon, the door would open, and the Triforce would be his for the taking.

"_Stop!_" a familiar voice called. Suddenly, Ganondorf felt something sharp pierce his back. It was something small, yet very sharp. He let out a yelp of pain and dropped the Ocarina of Time. Grabbing at his back, he pulled out a throwing dagger, and then turned around.

_What!_ Tetra and that boy, Link were standing there, at the entrance, along with those stupid pirates and several guards, one of them being James. The King himself was standing behind them, still wounded. _So... they are alive, and so is his majesty. I need to learn to clean up after myself._

"It's over, Ganon!" Tetra said. "There's no way you can take all of us."

"Especially since the priests are healing the soldiers you wounded outside," James said to him. "In a matter of moments, the entire castle will fall upon you for your treachery."

Ganondorf smiled. "James, my friend. Do you ever know what happened to your partner, Marcus?"

"He's probably among the wounded. Why does it matter?"

"Oh, it matters. At least, to you, it should. I took his soul, James, and turned him into a Soul-less." Ganondorf's smile spread as he watched the guard look at him in horror and growing anger. "Sad, isn't it? It's quite possible his orb was shattered."

"You... you..!" James stammered.

"Darn you!" Link exclaimed.

"Filthy monster!" Daphnes said, struggling to speak. "You take _my_ men and turn them into Soul-less! Especially behind my back? For all these years... I thought I could trust you, Ganondorf."

"Isn't that just what you said to me in the throne room?"

"That's enough!" Tetra exclaimed. "You're going down, right now." She drew out her dagger, and Ganondorf noticed that Link drew the Master Sword.

_He has the sword, but he's no hero. Just a boy._ "You think that you two can take me down alone?" He laughed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in all my life. Two children against a man of great power!"

"They ain't alone, ya pig," said the pirate with the red scarf tied around his head. He and the other pirates also drew their swords, save the one in the purple shirt; he pounded his fists together. "We're here, and so are the soliders! Yer nothin' but dead meat, matey!"

"Oh really? I don't think so." He raised his hands, and summoned a magical golden barrier between the children and their allies, locking Tetra and Link into the temple with Ganondorf. "Since you two so desperately desire to fight me, I'll give it to you." Lifting up his hands, he pulled his swords from his robes. "One blade, for each head!"

-S-

Link couldn't believe what had happened. The magical barrier was making it impossible for him and Tetra to receive help. Yet, at the same time, he wasn't scared. "I've grown in strength since I last fought you. I'll win this time, Ganon!"

The islander looked at Tetra, and she glanced back at him. They nodded to each other and then charged at Ganondorf. The gerudo king waited for them with a wicked smile on his face. "We'll see, young Link. We shall see!"

While he was running, Link watched Ganondorf's movements. Suddenly, the gerudo vanished into black smoke, only to appear right in the middle of the Temple where Link and Tetra stood. He saw Ganondorf spin himself violently with his swords outright, and raised his block.

There was a loud clang, and the shield deflected the blow. Link glanced over his shield to see what happened to Tetra. To his surprise, he saw her land onto the central pedestal after an impressive jump. She threw a throwing dagger into the gerudo's wrist, piercing the skin and stopping the attack.

Ganondorf let out a growl, and dropped his sword to pull the dagger out. Link took the opportunity to try to slash him across the chest. The islander was suddenly knocked back a little from the force of the gerudo parrying with his other sword. He let out a yelp as Tetra came from behind and sliced him in the shoulder, and then landed on it.

Swatting her onto the ground with his sword, Ganondorf turned his attention to the prone pirate captain. Link saw him raised his swords high into the air, and realized that he was trying to pierce her stomach. The islander stabbed the gerudo in the back, and Ganondorf let out a roar of pain as Link removed his sword.

Despite his injuries, the gerudo king jumped away from them, keeping his swords out. Link saw Tetra get up and brandish her dagger, and together, they charged Ganondorf again. This time, the islander slid to the side and jumped into the air, trying to strike his opponent down the middle. Tetra, instead, jumped onto the sides of one of the pillars, and shot herself at her opponent, trying to stab him in the face.

Blades clashed, and their loud noises echoed throughout the chamber. Ganondorf had brought up both of his swords in time to parry both Link's and Tetra's attacks. They landed on either side of him, and the islander saw the gerudo try to stab the both of them. Tetra rolled out of the way, while Link brought up his shield again and blocked the attack.

But it wasn't over; Ganondorf began a relentless wave of strikes at Link and Tetra, forcing the two back away from him, side-by-side into the wall of the barrier. Link continued to parry each attack, hoping that he could force Ganon's sword out of his hand with one swift motion. Suddenly, the islander found his sword being knocked aside, and then the gerudo viciously sliced him across the chest.

Link fell back, and then felt himself being painfully bounced forward by the force of the barrier behind him. He looked, and saw himself about to be driven onto one of Ganondorf's swords when the gerudo suddenly dropped his sword, gripping his arm with a pained expression on his face Tetra had struck again with another throwing dagger.

The islander fell face down onto the floor, and got up, only to see that Tetra had be cornered by their foe. He could see her having difficulty fending off two swords, and he saw Ganondorf's determined expression. He kicked the pirate captain in the stomach, knocking her against the wall. Link was about to strike when his foe turned on him and elbowed him in the face, sending him flying back into the barrier where his back took another blow.

_Ugh... there's no way,_ Link thought, his chest bleeding, and his back burning with pain. He looked at Tetra; her arms were cut, but still moving, and she had been stabbed in the thigh, of which she was pressing her neckerchief against the wound.

"See? You never had a chance." The gerudo laughed. "Time to finish the both of you. First, we'll start with Miss Tetra." He walked over to Tetra, raising his swords while she struggled to find an escape route.

Link pushed himself up, forcing himself to stand. He had a heavier wound than Tetra, but less of them. Even with his wound, he felt determined to protect her at all costs. With a loud yell, he charged Ganondorf with his sword raised in both hands. The gerudo turned around, snorted, and kicked the islander in the head, knocking him onto his back. Link felt the pain sear through his head, almost taking him out of consciousness.

He struggled to get back up, and saw that his attempted attack had given Tetra time to move behind a pillar, and keep her neckerchief on her bleeding wound. On his hands and knees, Link watched helplessly as Ganondorf closed in on her, ready to make the final blow.

_No! This can't be happening! I can't let her..._ He pulled himself up with all his might, and tried to sneak up on the gerudo this time, but then fell to the ground. His head was spinning, and his chest throbbed in agony. He looked up to see Ganondorf raised his swords at the crawling Tetra when suddenly, he heard a familiar voice cry out.

"Stop! That is enough, Ganondorf!"

_Rashu?_ Link thought. He looked over to the entrance and saw Rashu lower the barrier. Immediately, James, the guards, and the pirates ran over to the gerudo with their weapons drawn.

"Hurt the girl and you die, traitor!" James threatened.

"James," Ganondorf said, smiling. "Always the fighter, and Marcus, always the prankster. Isn't that how it went?"

"Don't try to taunt me!"

The gerudo laughed. "It's too bad I had to make him mine. He struggled so hard under my magics to resist. But... his mind and spirit were far too weak."

James twitched. "You...! You monster!" He thrust his spear at Ganondorf with all his fury. The gerudo laughed as he vanished into a black smoke again, reappearing behind the altar.

_Oh no..._ Link tried to get up, but he couldn't find the strength in his body. Then, he felt a hand place itself on his shoulder, and the pain in his chest and back suddenly went away. His head stopped spinning, and he found the strength to get on his feet. Looking at his chest, he saw stained blood, but he was no longer bleeding. _What the...?_

He looked over his shoulder and saw Rashu place his hand on Tetra's shoulder. She didn't seem to object to it, and as quickly as Rashu touched it, her wounds in her legs and thigh went away, and she stood up quickly.

"Rashu?" Link was surprised. "You're... a healer, too?"

"Not now, kid!" Tetra snapped at him. "Ganon's going to-" she was interrupted by the sound of a song being played.

Link looked over at the altar and saw the gerudo playing the Ocarina of Time. He jumped, trying to get over the altar, but was knocked back by an invisible barrier. He opened his eyes, and saw a bright clone of blue light circle the Door of Time. The door then opened, revealing a white light beyond.

"No!" Tetra screamed.

"Too late, girl!" Ganon taunted as he dropped the ocarina onto the ground and rushed past the open door into the Sacred Realm.

She ran up the stairs on the side of the altar to the door, trying to catch him. _Did he drop the barrier? _Link got up, and headed towards the door, too. The pirate girl was already dashing down the corridor beyond. Neither of them could not let Ganondorf get the Triforce, but how would he and Tetra catch up to him?

As he got up the stairs, he noticed Tetra had stopped. "It's too late," she said. "He'll get it before we can stop him!" She ran out of the corroridor and back into the Temple. "I think there's only one thing we can do. It's a risk, and it's a long-shot, but it's only chance!"

"What is?"

"We need to contain him. Seal him into the Sacred Realm so he can't get out!" Tetra brought the Ocarina of Time to her lips. "Link, get the Wind Waker out, we're going to make a Wind Seal on the Door of Time."

Link did as he was told. "But how?"

"Just conduct me in the song he just played, because I'm going to play it again. Ready?" Link got ready, and Tetra began to play the same tune on the ocarina. He listened to the melody and realized he was able to follow it and predict the next note with the Wind Waker.

_But how?_ He wondered.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the Sacred Realm, accompanied by the sound of stomping feet. "_You brats!_ I'll kill you both!"

Link almost lost his concentration, but focused on the song. Within a second, Tetra finished, and the door closed on Ganondorf. Then, there a sudden burst of wind that blasted into the room. It converged on the Door of Time, and, from what the islander could make out, the wind seemed to merge with the door. Then, the wind was gone, and instead, there was a green seal on the door.

"You did it!" The King exclaimed. "You've sealed him away! I hope that will keep him from coming out."

Tetra sighed, and dropped the Ocarina of Time. She looked extremely exhausted, apparently, while Rashu had healed her wounds, he had not restored her strength; for she fell forward. Link, feeling exhausted himself, dropped the Wind Waker and caught her.

"Are you sure that's going to hold him?" Link asked. "I mean, I'm not trying to doubt you, but he's in there with the Triforce!"

"Don't worry, Link," Tetra said. Her voice was breathless. "If the legends are correct, the Wind Seal should prevent anyone from opening the door again."

_I wonder why we didn't do that in the first place?_ He didn't ask, instead, he held Tetra until she was able to stand again. Before picking up the Wind Waker, Link checked to make sure she was all right.

"I'm fine," Tetra said. "Just a little... tired is all." She smiled weakly at him.

Smiling back, the islander crouched down and picked up his instrument. Suddenly, he felt his strength leave him, and he fell to the ground, losing consciousness once more.

-S-

"Are they alive?"

"Yes, they're merely sleeping, they should awake soon."

Link's eyes crawled open at the sound of the voices. He found himself lying on his back, staring at a beautiful white ceiling with a silver chandelier hanging from the top in the middle of the room. His body, surprisingly, felt refreshed and unharmed. _Last I remember... I was pretty hurt, but then Rashu came and healed me._

He sat up to find himself in a fancy bed with a comfortable mattress, pillows, and a blanket. The thick blanket was of a royal red color with gold lining. Link reached out and touched it, feeling its soft texture with his hands. The pillows were white with a golden Triforce emblem etched into the fabric. The sheets smelled clean, as if the bed had been recently washed. Link hadn't realized how comfortable the bed was, until he had fully awoken.

Examining the room he was in, he realized it was the guest room of the Royal Palace that he had stayed in before the trial. The red banners on either side of the room looked very familiar, not to mention the stonework on the walls. At the door were two hylian guards talking to each other. One noticed Link and smiled.

"Ah! Our hero has awakened!" he said. "Did you rest well?"

_Hero?_ "Uh...I think so, but how did I get here?" Link asked.

"You and Lady Tetra were escorted to this guest room after you both collapsed at the Temple of Time," the guard explained. "You were both so exhausted that we feared that you were both dead, but Master Rashu gave us his confidence that you were alive."

"Wait... Tetra's here?" Link looked around, and then saw to his left that there was another bed, identical to the one he was in. _Then, this is a different guest room? The one I stayed in only had one bed._ In the other bed, he saw Tetra sleeping quietly. "Rashu told you that we were all right, huh? So... she's just asleep then."

"I would be, if you'd keep quiet," Tetra suddenly said. She turned around in her bed and smirked characteristically at him.

"What the? How long have you been awake?" Link asked.

"Probably about five minutes," she said, sitting up and stretching. "Ugh... that was one rough battle. I'm glad it's over."

"Yeah... me, too."

"Pardon me," said the guard. Link turned his attention to him. "But His Majesty would like to see you when you feel ready to do so. He'll be in the throne room, I'm sure you've been there before. If you'd like an escort, we'll gladly do it."

"Thank you," Link and Tetra said at the same time. They exchanged glances.

After a brief pause, she said, "we'll be ready in a moment."

"As you wish," the guard said before turning around and returning to his companion.


	25. Chapter 24: Power's Fury

Chapter 24: Power's Fury

About an hour after waking up, Tetra found herself kneeling before King Daphnes with Link at her side. _Do I really need to kneel like this?_ she wondered. _Whatever, I'll just go with the flow here._ Both Link and Tetra's clothes had been repaired and cleaned of all the blood stains on them. They looked and smelled clean, almost like nobles.

"I... I really don't know what to say to the both of you," the King said, sitting on his grand throne. "You both saved the kingdom, and Hyrule itself, risking your own reputations and lives for it all! How can I, no how the people of Hyrule repay you for your selflessness?"

Tetra stood up. "Well, it would be nice to be off the wanted list. We aren't going to steal anymore since the Ocarina of Time is safe now. Also, money's always nice," she added with a grin.

Daphnes laughed. "Very well, we will you give you and your pirates a payment of five thousand rupees, and your names will be removed from the wanted lists, as you desire, Lady Tetra. What about you, Master Link? What do you desire? Arise, my boy."

"I... don't really know," Link said, standing. He put his hand on his chin. "Well, we did suffer some damage back home in Outset—one of our bridges was out. Though, that's because there are a lot more monsters in the forest, and so my Master and his brother had to cut the bridge down."

"So, that means you wish for us to help you and your people rebuild the bridge and clear the forest of monsters?"

Link nodded. "Yes, please, your Majesty. Also... I have one other request. It's based on a hunch of mine, but..." Tetra watched curiously as he put his hand into his adventurer's pouch, and pulled out the soul orb he had for so long.

_Ah, good kid. Good kid, _Tetra thought, smiling at him.

"I think I understand," the King said. "You wish to free the poor soul in that orb? Hand it to me, and I'll get my priests on it."

"I think," Link said as he handed the orb to Daphnes. "I think it could be Marcus, your Majesty. Because... when I was going after Tetra at the Forsaken Fortress, I had to fight a Soul-less hylian. He looked familiar, and Ganon implied that he had made Marcus into a Soul-less. So... maybe this is him?"

The King nodded, looking grim. "I see. If it is, James will be overjoyed and yet sorrowful at the same time to hear of his partner's fate. Those two were close friends, my boy. Very close. And therefore, Marcus's disappearance was painful for James."

"That's strange. I don't remember seeing him unhappy or angry until Ganondorf mentioned it."

"James is a strong man. He rarely lets his emotions get the best of him. That's one of the reasons why he's one of my honorary guards-now Captain of the Guard after this incident." A kind smile spread on Daphnes's face. "If you wish to see him before you leave, you may. Though, I think he would be most interested in seeing if this was Marcus or not."

Link nodded. "I'm actually curious myself. Can I come with you?" He then looked at Tetra, as if asking her to come with. She rolled her eyes at him, but then nodded.

"I'll come, too. Besides, you're not getting back to Outset without me, kid," she said.

"Right," Link said with a chuckle.

"Very well. I'll send a messenger for James to come." Daphnes stood up from his throne. "Meet me in the priest's room. Link, you should know where that is."

§

It didn't take long to get the priest's room. Tetra allowed herself to be led along by Link down the corridor. She had her arms behind her head casually, glancing at the paintings and ornaments along the walls. _Royalty... so vain,_ she thought.

One painting caught her eye. It was the picture of Princess Zelda, sitting, while her advisers stood around her. Tetra paused to look at it, and after a moment, she shook her head. _That was a long time ago when she was still here._

"Tetra?"

She turned her head, noticing that Link was facing her with a curious expression on his face. He was standing in front of a door.

"What? Oh... right, the priest's room. Gotcha," she said to him with a wink. She walked toward the door, and knocked on it.

"Huh? How do you know that's the priest's room? I thought you never came here except when you were captured."

"Well, I was dragged around a bit," Tetra said, turning around to face him. "Besides, I'm a pirate, it's in my nature to get around places I don't know very well."

Link scratched his head. He obviously didn't understand, but before he could ask another question, the door behind Tetra opened. She turned around to see a man in a white robe.

"Um... excuse me? Did you have an appointment?"

"Yeah," Tetra said. "The King should be expecting us. We're here to release a soul from a Soul Orb."

"Ah... I see," the priest said. "Important business, is it? Come in, then." He beckoned with his hand. Tetra walked into the room; she could hear Link's footsteps behind her.

As she entered the room, she noticed it seemed more white than the other areas of the castle. There were various symbols of eyes with large teardrops along the walls—one in each corner to be precise. The room smelled of clerical incense, which bothered Tetra's nose.

She noticed Link walk up next to her. He didn't seem to be enthralled by the room as he usually was by anything new. Curious, she was about to ask him a question when they were approached by King Daphnes.

"Ah, I'm glad you decided to come," he said. "Here, Link, can you give me the Soul Orb?"

Link nodded, and pulled the black orb from his pouch. The colorful smoke that swirled inside of it glowed ominously. As the islander handed the King the orb, the door opened. Tetra turned around to see the familiar face of James.

His attire had changed slightly since she last saw him. He now had a royal sword sheathed at his side, and his armor was now gold in color instead of gray metallic. He still carried his spear that he had as a normal guard. For the first time, Tetra saw James smile at her.

"It feels strange that I would be glad to see you, Miss Tetra," he said.

Tetra smirked. "Well... I _am_ rather popular these days."

James shook his head and rolled his eyes. He then looked at Link and the King. "So... you think Marcus is in there?" he asked. "After the tournament, he did vanish. But I would have never imagined-"

"James," Daphnes said, raising a finger. "We're not entirely sure if it is Marcus or not. It was merely a gut feeling that Link had. But we'll find out in a moment." He motioned for one of the priests to come over to him.

The same priest who had let Tetra and Link in approached. "Yes, your Majesty? I assume you want me to release this soul from the orb?"

"Indeed," the King said. "That is what we're all anxious to see—who is the one in the Soul Orb?"

The priest nodded, and then took the orb from the King. Placing it on a table in the middle of the room, he motioned to the other priests and they gathered around. Tetra watched as they began their ritual of freeing the soul. She had never seen it before; she had only heard about it.

The priests began by sprinkling some incense on the orb. The Soul Orb reacted to it by swirling its smoke around more violently. Then, the priests placed their hands on the orb. The one who had allowed Tetra and Link in, said, "oh mighty goddesses, Din, Naryu, and Farore, we call upon thy power to free this poor soul who has been trapped within. Lead us your power. Amen."

After he prayed, the priest's hands glowed a bright golden color. The other priests' hands also began to glow, and a pillar of golden light descended on the Soul Orb. Tetra watched in awe as the smoke came out of the orb into the golden light, and formed itself into the image of a man.

A man who she recognized as...

"Marcus!" James exclaimed. Despite his earlier cheerful demeanor, the captain of the guard now looked devastated to see his old friend as merely a spirit.

"Don't be sad, James," Marcus's soul said with a sad, yet comforting smile. "Thanks to young Link here, I'm freed of Ganondorf's grasp. Please, protect the King for me, not matter what. I have confidence in you, old friend." He began to drift upward.

"Marcus... wait...!" James reached out to his old friend, but Marcus only nodded. The soul then ascended through the golden light and pass the ceiling into the heavens above. After that, the light receded from the hands of the priests and the pillar vanished; Tetra knew that he had been saved.

She watched as James fell to his knees and wiped his eyes. Link walked over to James and patted him on the shoulder—his eyes were also misty. "It's all right now, James," he said. "He's gone to a safe place. He's not going to be a poe for eternity." The islander smiled gently. "Don't worry about it."

Tetra was trying to resist, but she could feel her eyes watering up, too. Not just because James had been briefly united with Marcus, but because of Link's actions. _Darn kid, he's so kind._

James turned his face to Link, and then he gave the islander a hug. "Thank you, Link, for saving Marcus for me. You truly are a hero." They broke the embrace, and the captain of the guard returned to his feet. He bowed to his king and said, "thank you for inviting me to see this, your Majesty. I am comforted by the fact that I know where Marcus is now."

"You're welcome, James," Daphnes said.

§

After leaving the priest's room, Link and Tetra said their farewells to James and the King.

"I would send an escort with you," Daphnes had said. "But I know that the both of you are strong enough to handle yourselves. Just be careful when passing through the towns. News of your victory has probably already spread to the towns on the mainland, and so you might find yourselves being overwhelmed by crowds and the like."

Crossing down the corridors of the castle, Link and Tetra ran into Rashu on the way. He was standing near the entrance of the castle, examining the paintings on the walls. He turned when the two approached him.

Link looked at his old friend longingly. "Are you coming with us, Rashu?" he asked.

The old moblin shook his head. "I am sorry, but I cannot travel with you. My place is with my brother back at our cave. I am planning to stay here at the castle for a time to counsel his Majesty, and then return home."

Link frowned. "I guess... if that's what you want," he said. "I'm going to miss you, Rashu. You're a good friend." The islander wiped his misty eyes.

"Do not sorrow, Link. Remember what my brother said to you?" Rashu asked. "You're welcome to come visit us at our cave anytime you desire. I'm sure we will see each other again on our travels."

Tetra smiled. "Thank you for everything you've done," she said. "I guess if it weren't for you, I'd be one dead pirate right now."

"Thank Link for all of that," the moblin wizard said. "He had the courage to stand up to the task of saving your life. I was no more than a guide for him."

She stretched out with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Don't worry, I already have." She threw a wink at the islander, and he felt his face grow warm again. Link noticed that Tetra looked rather satisfied.

"Well then, I guess we'll see you later, Rashu," she said.

"Yeah!" Link said. "I promise to come visit sometime."

Rashu smiled at the both of them. "Don't worry, we will meet again, my friends. And it will a joyous occasion when we do. Farewell."

§

They met up with the pirates outside of the castle, and took a carriage, paid for by the King, down through Hyrule Castle Town. Sure enough, the group was bombarded by the populace because of their new reputation as "Hyrule's heroes." People were offering gifts, asking for signatures on books, scrolls, and other objects. Again, Link was offered free services from blacksmiths, and Tetra gained an unusual amount of male admirers.

Tetra groaned, that was the last thing she needed. Closing the window to the carriage on her side, she caught Niko in the corner of her eye trying to sneak himself a gift. She was about to restrain him, but decided that he deserved it after all the torment he had gone through recently. It looked like he was given a purple rupee as his gift—worth fifty whole green rupees. Tetra rolled her eyes as Niko held it tenderly.

She sighed, grateful that the rest of her boys were not accepting gifts of any kind. _We still have a reputation to hold. Accepting every gift would make us look like gluttons,_ she thought.

Across from her sat Gonzo, Senza, and Nudge, while Niko, Mako, Zuko and Link sat next to her—in that order from the one furthest to her in the carriage, to the one closest. Tetra looked at the islander and noticed that he appeared relieved, probably because the window was now closed.

"Ugh... I would be happy to accept gifts from them," Link said. "But... it just gives me awful memories of when I had to ride the carriage with Ganondorf through Hyrule Castle Town. He kept claiming that I had helped arrest you guys, and I was overwhelmed by all the gifts, acknowledgments, and offers I received."

"Don't like being popular, eh, matey?" Zuko asked.

"It's not that, Zuko," he said. "It's more of what Ganondorf kept saying about me—helping the Royal Family arrest you and everything. That lie stung more than any lie I've been told to in my life."

Tetra patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Link," she said. "You were strong. Even when Rajin's mother testified falsely about you, it was bold of you to stand up like that and be honest with the court. I was surprised when you raised your voice like that, but... I was proud to see you do it."

"That was Rajin's mother?"

"Yeah, she was," Gonzo said. He had a sour look on his face. "The blast'd woman probably wanted some revenge after what ya did to her son, mate."

"That's a strange way to get revenge."

"You said it, kid," Tetra responded. "I didn't understand what she was doing either, but... maybe Ganondorf had something to do with it. She was his witness after all." She paused, and then smiled at him. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Hyrule's safe, and so is the rest of the world."

Link nodded. "Say, Tetra?"

"Hm...?"

"What did you do with the Ocarina of Time?"

Tetra laughed. "I gave it back to King Daphnes, of course. What else would I do with it?"

He nodded again, but Tetra got the feeling he didn't fully understand why. _That's okay, he doesn't need to right now._

§

At Kakariko Port Town, the group was still under siege from their new fans. Fortunately, James had sent guards, despite the King's assumption, to block the crowds from Link and the others. Finally, they reached their ship and climbed on board.

"All right, boys," Tetra said upon arriving on the ship. "Set sail for Outset Island so we can get Link home." The pirates went to their stations immediately, and began to set the sails.

Link frowned. _Well, I'll get to see my family again. I mean, that's not bad, right?_ Yet something in his heart was lacking. He looked at Tetra, but said nothing.

She appeared to notice. "What's wrong, Link?" She smirked. "Don't be sad. C'mon, remember my promise to come visit you? Or did you forget already?"

"Oh!" Link felt a little dumb. "Ha ha... I... did forget." At that moment, the sails dropped, and the wind caught them, pushing the ship out of the port town and onto the Great Sea. Link had no particular desire to use the Wind Waker; he wanted to stay with Tetra as long as possible.

Tetra leaned on the rails, probably watching the mainland slowly become a dark shadow in the distance. Link leaned on the railing of the ship, too, right next to her. His nose picked up the familiar salty smell of the sea. The pirate captain said nothing, but had her characteristic smirk on her face. The islander couldn't help but smile himself.

_I don't think I've ever felt so happy... in my life._

§

Hours later, the ship was in full force to Outset. The mainland had vanished over the horizon, and the sun was beginning to set, albeit barely.

Tetra watched Link take a nap on the deck of the ship. She was surprised how the islander could stay asleep with all the rocking of the ship and the noise of waves rushing against it. She wanted to talk to him, and he had been sleeping for what, two hours now? It was time to get up.

So, she kicked him.

"Ugh!" Link was aroused. "Ow! What the? Tetra!" He stood up, looking furious. Tetra could do nothing but laugh. "Hey! This isn't funny!"

She caught her breath and grinned at him. "So what? I think you're cute when you're mad, Link." The islander's anger seemed to subside at this, and his face turned even redder. "My goddesses, when are you going to stop blushing every time I flirt with you? It's getting ridiculous."

"Wait... you've been-?" Link asked.

"Hey, stop! Please, kid," Tetra said. "You're always trying to figure me out. It should have been obvious by now since I gave you that kiss, remember?"

Link laughed uneasily. "H-how could I forget that?" Tetra caught him rubbing his cheek. She didn't remark. She had to admit, despite his weaknesses, Link was becoming a man she could take seriously now. However, she almost blushed at the prospect, but maintained her pose.

"Of course you wouldn't." She turned her head away for a moment to examine her boys. Gonzo was at the helm, controlling the ship. Tetra thought she had caught a stolen glance from him, but maybe it was just her imagination.

Zuko was still in the crow's nest, watching the seas. Nudge and Niko were, hopefully, inside in the ship. Mako was keeping watch on the other side of the deck; again, Tetra thought he had been staring at her and the islander, but a quick re-glance told her otherwise. Finally, Senza was manning the Catapult in the back.

Everything seemed in order; nothing was amiss. Tetra almost wanted to close her eyes and take a nap herself. Even after all that rest, she felt tired—tired of their journey; their adventure even. _That was a rough one._

"Tetra?" Link asked. She glanced over to see that he was leaning his back against the railing of the ship. "What will you do now? From what you told me, it sounded like all the pirating and plundering you did was just to save up for the raid for the Ocarina of Time. ... does this mean you're... not a pirate anymore?"

She snorted. "Of course I'm still a pirate! There will always be something to search for in the Great Sea, I'm sure. I'll be able to find things to do. I always have."

§

The next day, Link awoke to see Outset Island in the distance. He had been sleeping inside the ship, on a sleeping bag in front of Tetra's cabin. He had gathered up his equipment, and had walked out onto the deck.

Tetra was, again, leaning on the railing on the left. She turned, and smiled at him. "Morning, Link. We've almost got you home! We should be there in a few hours."

Despite the fact that he would be separated from Tetra for a time, Link felt relieved to see his home. It seemed like a long time since he was there, even though, it had only been a little over a day since he left Hyrule Castle. He walked over and began to chat with Tetra when he heard a voice.

"I suppose you two are enjoying your so-called 'victory'?"

Link and Tetra looked at each other in horror; the islander could not believe the voice he just heard. The two turned around and looked past the railing to see Ganondorf with his arms folded, floating above the water; there was a small whirlpool swirling underneath his feet.

"What!?" Tetra exclaimed.

"How...?" Link said.

The gerudo king let out an evil chuckle. "You forgot how the Triforce grants any wish! It's a shame that you announced you were about to use a Wind Seal on me. Otherwise, you have trapped me for good."

He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. On the top of the fist, Link could clearly see a marking on it. It the symbol of the Triforce, but lower triangles were black while the top one was a bright red.

"The Triforce... it split!" Tetra said.

Before Link could ask what that meant, Ganondorf said, releasing his fist, "yes, indeed, much to my anger. I suppose I will have to find the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom before I can completely dominate Hyrule and the world itself."

"No!" Link yelled. He drew the Master Sword. "There's no way we'd let you get control of the world!"

"Is that so, young Link?" the gerudo said. "Do you really think that pathetic excuse for a legendary weapon will save you and Tetra now?"

With that, Ganondorf raised his hand into the air, and re-clenched it. The Triforce of Power glowed a bright red, and suddenly, to Link's shock, the ship started spinning rapidly. The waters began to rock the boat with intensity, and a violent storm appeared around the ship—lightning and all—threatening to rip it apart.

The spinning increased, Link caught glimpses of the other pirates frantically trying to grab hold of something. Gonzo was still at the helm, trying with all his might to control the ship. Niko was gripping onto the mast fearfully. Zuko was rushing for the cabin. Nudge and Senza fell to the deck, and Mako gripped the rails.

Trying to grasp the railing himself, Link saw Tetra sliding down the deck as the water began to raise the ship. With one quick motion, he let go, and grabbed her arm.

"Tetra! Hold on!"

Tetra let out a scream as suddenly, the ship broke in half right through the middle, and the pirates made shouts of terror as they, Link, and Tetra fell into the water and found themselves being pulled into the violent torrent of water.

Link desperately held onto Tetra's arm, and he began to lose consciousness, barely hearing Ganondorf's roaring laughter over the fierce waves. Finally, he gave in, and the light vanished from his sight.


	26. Chapter 25: The Eye of the Storm

Chapter 25: The Eye of the Storm

Tetra was on the Great Sea, floating. Darkness had fallen upon the mainland, Hyrule. It was odd; she couldn't smell a thing, nor could she hear, yet she knew the darkness was encroaching upon the Great Sea. It was reaching out to the islands beyond. First, Windfall would be taken, and the others.

Then, the air began to grow heavy around Tetra, making it hard for her to breathe as the darkness approached her. There was no light, save the dim glimmer from underneath the clouds over the Great Sea. Hyrule, itself, was pitch black.

The air grew even heavier as the thick darkness got closer. She wanted to cry out against it, but it was to no avail; she was doomed. It swirled around her, and threatening to swallow her up at any moment. She looked around, gazing desperately for a way out. _Where is the Hero? Where is the Hero, who is to come?_

Her thoughts, unanswered were swept away, suddenly, as the darkness collapsed on her, taking away her ability to breathe.

-S-

Tetra awoke. Her ears could hear the gentle sound of waves crashing into a beach of somesort. She could smell the salty air, and felt sand beneath her. She felt weak. Too weak to open her eyes, yet by some mysterious force, she managed to peel them open.

She groaned softly, and gazed around herself. She was lying on her side, and saw that she was on a beach of some small island. Tetra couldn't see everything, let alone take in everything because she felt dizzy, sore, and dazed.

After what felt like a few years, Tetra managed to bring herself to her feet. Her clothes were mostly in one piece, a few tears here and there, but what bothered her the most was that they were wet. She turned to her left and saw endless water stretching out before her. There wasn't a single island in sight.

Tetra shivered, but not because she was wet. _That dream... so vivid, and so terrible, _she thought._ Why did I fail to-?_ Then, her stomach growled, interrupting her train of thought.

She reached for her adventurer's pouch, and found to her relief that it was still attached. Even better, her weaponry—throwing daggers and her shortblade—was on her sash. She searched inside the pouch, and found some stale, cooked meat inside; she ate it right away.

Tetra turned around slowly and looked at the island. It seemed to be a grassy, stone ruins in the distance. The whole ruins seemed to rise from the ground into the air; it had to be at least four stories tall. It was not too far, probably only about fifty feet from where she stood.

Her strength recovering from her meal, Tetra set off to explore the island. _Am I alone on this place?_ she wondered. _What about Link and the boys? Did they survive the crash, too? Maybe... I am alone._

Not wanting to think about that, Tetra crossed over the beach and over to the stony ruins. It was a quiet place, nothing seemed to be living inside of it. Tired from even walking a little, she leaned up against a stone wall covered in thick vines. She searched her pouch again for some food, but found none.

With a sigh, she looked up into the sky, wishing that someone was around. Then, as if in answer to her wish, there was a loud grunting noise. It did not sound friendly, unfortunately.

Forgetting her hunger, Tetra drew her curved shortblade, backed away from the wall and spun around. She was looking for the source of the grunt. Then, from the shadows of one of the ruins's portals, came out three moblins. They had lively-looking flesh—meaning they could not be Soul-less—and had a very tribal look to them.

They were covered in clothes made from grass and vines. They had an animal skin wrapped around their loins, and were carrying crude spears. They eyed her hungrily.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm not going to be your meal today!"

As if they were responding to her, the moblins charged with bull-like roars. Focused, Tetra dropped her shortblade, grabbed some throwing daggers from her sash and threw them at oncoming moblins.

Two of the daggers were deflected by the spears of the moblin, but one struck one of them squarely in the head. The injured creature grabbed its head, roaring painfully. Immediately, Tetra picked up her shortblade on the ground. The two remaining moblins surrounded and circled her.

"Trying to cut off my escape?" she said out-loud. "That won't work."

One of the moblins charged with its spear outwards, and Tetra jumped up high into the air. She landed on the wood of the spear, balancing herself on the wood and then slashed the moblin across the face with her shortblade. The monster dropped its spear, clutching its bleeding face in pain.

Immediately, Tetra glanced over her back to see that the other moblin was upon her with its spear. With a jump to the side in order to avoid the spear. Tetra dashed away to the entrance of the ruins, picking up her deflected throwing daggers on the way.

Stuffing the daggers into her sash, and sheathing her shortblade, Tetra didn't go inside, but jumped up and began to climb up the side of the portal. Using her lower body, she launched herself upward, and grabbed a stone jutting out of the wall above.

As she climbed higher and higher, she noticed some small stones slamming into the wall next to her. Tetra didn't have to look to know that the moblins were throwing stones at her. She kept climbing until she reached a ledge and pulled herself over it.

Or at least, she almost had when a stone hit her in the back and she lost her grip and fell. Fortunately, Tetra caught hold of the rim of the portal, and pulled herself back up onto the wall. Her back stung horribly, and she wondered if she was bleeding. Glancing behind her, she saw that the moblins were picking up more stones, save the one with the throwing dagger in its face—it was still running around in agony.

Tetra decided that one of its friends needed to join the wounded one in its dance of pain. With one hand, she threw another dagger into the face of the unwounded moblin. Although it tried to duck, the dagger struck it in the forehead and went deep into the moblin's head. At least, that's what Tetra assumed as the moblin fell over, lifeless.

Assuming that the other one would have have a hard time aiming stones at her because of its slashed face, Tetra continued her climb up the wall. Finally, she pulled herself up over the ledge again, and planted her feet onto its surface.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Tetra looked at her surroundings. She seemed to be on a "second" level of the ruins. Here, she could see multiple openings leading to inner caverns in the walls of the ruins. There was a pathway that went around the center wall, that spiraled upwards to a flat summit with many ruined buildings scattered between.

_Looks like I've invaded someone's home. How many more of them are in there? And how long can I hide on the summit before they find me?_ As she was pondering over her possibilities, she heard the crumbling of rocks below. She looked, and saw that the moblin that had its face impaled had removed the dagger from its face, and was climbing up the wall toward her. The one that had its face slashed was right behind.

Cursing, Tetra had no choice but to enter the closest cavern of the wall. She dashed into it, and nearly tripped as she entered. The portalway had been dark, but she hadn't expected to so dark within the cavern. _I've got to move!_

She felt her way around the cavern. The rocks were cool to the touch, and some of them were rather jagged, as Tetra discovered, nearly cutting herself on one wall she tried to get around. Slowly, her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, and she could make out faint lines in the cavern, giving her a basic idea of where the walls, ceiling, floor, and other things were. Despite this, she wasn't sure if she was going up or down.

Soon, she heard the rapid footsteps of moblins behind her. _Crap, I need to find a place to hide!_ Feeling her way around, she finally entered into a large room. There was a dim torch in the corner, its fire beginning to die, but it gave her enough light. In the opposite corner, she found a large jar, just large enough for her to fit in. Immediately, Tetra made her way over to the jar, and pulled herself in.

At that moment, she heard the footsteps enter the room, and stop. She heard the snorting of the moblins, trying to sniff her out. _Blast. I forgot about their sense of smell! ... Maybe the blood has dulled it a little._

She waited. Waited for her to get caught and become a roast dinner for the moblins. She wouldn't go without a fight though. _Several moblins will die before they will get a chance to cook me!_ She shivered in the dark, even though it was not very cold inside.

However, the moblins did not come. They did not tip over the jar, nor did they seemingly approach it—at least from what Tetra could hear. Finally, after what felt like an hour, the moblins let out some angry grunts, and the sounds of their footsteps left the room.

Tetra continued to wait, just to make sure no one was there. When she felt it was safe to come out, she wiggled her way out of jar and into the room. A pitch-black room; the torch had gone out. _Great, I can't fight in the dark... but I don't know my way back outside._

Then, gradually, a light began to enter into the room. It grew brighter, and brighter and allowed Tetra to see the majority of the room. However, she wasn't interested in that. She remained still, and gripped the hilt of her shortblade, focused on who or what was carrying the light. Her breath was becoming tense and her chest tightened as the light grew brighter and brighter. She could even hear footsteps accompanying the light.

Tetra drew her weapon slowly, and then dashed backward with the blade behind her. There was a loud _clang_ as her blade connected with another.

"Whoa! Tetra! Stop!"

She did, because she recognized that voice. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with Link. He was carrying the Master Sword in his left hand while holding a torch in the other. He looked startled. Tetra's chest and breath relaxed at the sight of him.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?" he asked her. "Did you also get attacked by moblins?" Tetra glanced at the sword, it had fresh blood on it.

"Of course I did. Why the heck do you think I'm so tense?" She noticed his fearful expression and sighed. "... I'm glad to see you, Link. I'm glad to see you alive." A smile spread over her face as one spread on his own. For the first time, her face felt a little warm. "Could you move the torch from my face, Link?"

"Oh! Sorry!" He moved the torch back a bit. "I'm glad to see you alive, too, Tetra. What happened to us after Ganondorf attacked?"

Tetra stepped back from Link, and frowned. "I don't know. I just remember waking up on this island's shore." She took in the room. It seemed to be somesort of ceremonial place; for she could see an altar against the far wall with an elaborate tapestry over it—rather elaborate for the type of clothing she had seen on the moblins. In each corner of the room, there was a torch that was burnt out. She wondered why a special place like this would be left in the dark.

"Yes, that's what happened to me, too," Link said, half-frowning. "I looked around for you, or the pirates, but I couldn't find anyone. So... I checked my things, and found that I had everything. Well...! Except..."

"Except what?"

"... the Wind Waker."

"What? It's gone?"

Link nodded with a solemn expression on his face. "I couldn't find it anywhere. I'm sorry, Tetra."

"Why are you apologizing to me? Didn't Rashu give you that? There's no need to tell me your sorry for losing it. Besides, think of it this way," she added, raising a hand to silence him. "It's a miracle that we even have most, if not all, of our equipment."

Link nodded again, but still didn't look any happier. "I don't know, it's probably at the bottom of the Great Sea now. It's probably the only thing that could get us off this island."

Tetra hadn't thought of that. It was true; the Wind Waker was a powerful artifact. _If we could create a makeshift boat with a sail then... bah! What does it matter? We don't have that baton anymore._ She frowned again. _I can't allow myself to get stuck on this island while Ganondorf is out there terrorizing Hyrule. But then again... what can I possibly hope to do? ... What could we hope to do against him?_

She sighed.

"Tetra, it's going to be okay," Link said, putting a torch up on a jagged rock. He walked up to her and patted her on the back. "We'll find a way off."

"And then what? How are we supposed to fight someone who has the Triforce of Power?"

"We'll find the two who have the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom!" Link said encouragingly. "They should be able to fight Ganon! ... right? Uh... whoa!" he exclaimed as Tetra suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pushed her head into his chest. Tears broke through her eyes.

"I... I hope you're right, Link." She remembered the dream. The darkness. The drowning. _It's so... terrible. Think of the people who will suffer and even die... all because of you. Because you failed to-_

"Tetra?"

She looked up at him for a long moment. His face was shadowed and she could see the light reflecting off his green eyes. Finally, she stood up straight and let go of Link. Tetra wiped her eyes and half-smiled. "Sorry. I shouldn't do that, it would ruin my composure as a pirate captain."

"... are you all right?" Link sounded dumfounded.

"I'm fine. Just fine," she lied. "We need to find a place to hide to think of a way to get off this island. You lead the way since you have a torch."

"Right." Link walked over to the jagged rock where he had hung his torch. "Well, let's search for a way out." He seemed rather cheerful for someone stuck on an island. "Come on, Tetra." He sheathed the Master Sword and smiled at her. She grinned back, and walked over to him.

"All right, lead on," Tetra said.

There were three exits to this room, one behind them, one in front of them and one to their right. Since Tetra had no sense of direction inside these caverns, she suspected that Link didn't either.

As she was deciding with Link as to what exit to take, Tetra noticed light growing in the exit behind them. She also heard footsteps approaching them.

"Link," she whispered to him. "Look!" she pointed to the growing light. "We need to move, and not in that direction!"

"Right!" Link whispered back. He grabbed her hand and led her through the exit to the right. The caverns took them downward, or what seemed like downward, deeper into the ruins. The corridors were narrow as they passed through, and there was no light save the torch that Link had.

Normally, Tetra wouldn't stand to be led around by the hand, but she allowed it in this case. _It's too dark in here... if I lose Link then..._

There was a loud grunting noise from behind them, instinctively, Tetra reached for her shortblade. Then she was abruptly pulled by Link as he increased his pace from a walk into a run. She almost stumbled, but caught her footing and ran along with him through the caverns. _I wonder... does he have any idea where we're going? ... I sure as heck don't._

Finally, the caverns opened up into a larger room. Inside, there were torches set on wooden pillars in each corner of the room. In the middle of the room, surrounding a stony table, there were two moblins in tribal-looking robes. They didn't notice Tetra an Link enter as they examined some object on top.

Tetra was ready to sneak past the moblins when she recognized the object they were examining. _The Wind Waker? How did it-?_ Apparently, Link had noticed, too, as he rushed forward, torch in hand to grab the artifact off the table.

Then the two robed moblins noticed him, and let out shouts of fear in a language Tetra didn't understand. _Darn kid! The other moblins will know exactly where we are now!_ The two robed moblins backed away in fear of Link, but he paid them no mind as he snatched up the Wind Waker and pocketed it in his Adventurer's Pouch.

Tetra heard the sounds of heavy footsteps, and grunts right behind her. She dashed forward, and this time grabbed Link by the hand, nearly dragging him out of the room. "You idiot!" she snapped. "You're going to get us killed!"

"But... we might need it!" he protested, his voice a little shaky from their fast pace through the caves.

"There could have been a quieter way of getting it. Did you ever think of that?"

"Yeah, but I didn't see how we could have gotten it-"

"Ugh! You need to learn how to sneak around, kid!"

"Well, then tell me how you would have gotten it!" Link growled at her. They passed through a narrow cavern that felt like it was going upward.

"A distraction, of course. Throw a stone at the end of the room to catch their attention and then snatch it off the table! It's really simple, you dolt."

"Hey, don't call me that!"

"Just shut up already!"

She continued to bicker with him as they traveled through the passageway, yet Tetra did not notice the light at the end until they emerged outside of the ruins upon a cliff. She and Link stopped their arguments as they gazed at the sky ahead; it was thick with dark storm clouds, and they appeared to be twisting across the Great Seas in a great mass.

"What... is that?" Link asked.

Tetra swallowed. _It can't be... is this island in the middle of the Dead Seas? I've never seen a storm like that near Hyrule!_ Her breathing grew deep and almost uncontrolled. "Link... we're screwed. Either we're moblin food, or we'll be torn to bits by this storm."

"What?" he looked out at the storm. "Don't worry, we have the Wind Waker! I can just re-direct the storm."

"With _that _puny thing?" Tetra wanted to laugh, but death was knocking at her doorstep. "Link, this isn't like creating a wind seal or a cyclone! Those were _artificial_ storms you made with the Wind Waker, one of which wouldn't have been possible without the Ocarina of Time. Do you really think you can stop a _real _storm that big?"

Link frowned at her. "What's wrong with you? Of course I can. Rashu said I just need to put my strength into it!"

"Link..." Tetra groaned. Before she could say more, a voice in broken common spoke out behind them.

"Kill tiny human things!"

Tetra looked and saw that the moblins had arrived. There were five of them. Four warrior-like ones in the front, and in the back was, who looked like to be, their chieftain. She reached for her shortblade, readying herself for a battle.

However, the moblin warriors looked fearful as they stared at the sky. A distant rumbling could be heard, and the wind was starting to get stronger. The chieftain glanced around angrily, as if his plans had been frustrated.

"Go back inside caves!" he commanded. "Storm come again!" Immediately, the moblins retreated into the caverns of the ruins. The chieftain stared at Tetra and Link for a moment, and then turned around into the caverns.

"Oh great," Link said. "Let's get inside!"

"Are you crazy? They'll eat us alive!" Tetra said.

"Well, you're the one who said the Wind Waker is useless out here!" he snapped. He took in a deep breathe. "Look, Tetra." His voice was calmer. "We've got a choice, we can get inside and be safe from the storm, and most likely live or stay outside where we'll most likely die."

Tetra nodded. "Fine, let's get inside."

"No humans inside!" a voice said from the entrance. Tetra looked, and saw a moblin and the chieftain. She caught them raising a large wooden board to barricade the cavern entrance with.

"Throw the torch at it, Link!"

The islander raised his torch and flung it at the board, but the wind blew out the flames, and the torch was shot into the air, and out into the sea. The entrance to the caverns was then barricaded as Tetra slammed herself against the board; it wouldn't budge.

It began to rain, and the wind was becoming so strong that Tetra could feel its weight pushing against her, and then pulling her to the side. The storm was about to arrive.

"Blast it all!" Tetra cried out. There was a flash of lightning that answered her cry. _Is it really going to end like this?_ She grabbed onto some dents in the board and tried to tear it apart while holding herself stable. _What's Link doing?_ She looked back to where she last saw Link, and her eyes widened in surprise, despite the rain in her face.

Link was standing on his feet, gritting his teeth and had the Wind Waker out in his left hand. He was gracefully moving the baton in his hand to direct the wind. He stood strong against the howling winds, and the threatening lightning like a warrior from legend.

_How can he do that?_

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the side of the cliff, knocking Link over, and nearly knocking Tetra off of it. Catching herself, Tetra went to help Link up. When she got to him, he was already rising with his hand still conducting the Wind Waker. She helped him get to his feet and held on to support him.

They looked at each other, but no words needed to be said. Link smiled at Tetra despite the dark twisting storm upon them. _Either we die together, or by some miracle, he stops the storm._ The winds grew suddenly very fierce slamming against them, as if the storm knew its existence was being threatened.

Tetra kept holding onto Link. She felt as if she was about to ripped to shreds any moment. With one eye open, she watched as the islanders motions with the baton grew more sharp and direct. The wind of the storm remained strong, the storm was adamant in its position as the master of wind.

Only Link defied it. He stood his ground like a man and pressured the storm with the power of an ancient artifact. Then, Tetra noticed that the Wind Waker was glowing a bright white. The wind then changed direction and pressed upon her from behind.

Again, it changed directions and started going up. Tetra, almost unable to see, noticed that the storm was spiraling rapidly, and that the eye of the storm could be clearly seen ahead of them. _How? The eye usually takes a long time to... wait, is he increasing the size of the eye!_

That's what it seemed like. The eye of the storm was growing in size, albeit slowly, but it was growing. The storm itself was losing its dominion over the wind. Angry, its lightning and rain increased around Tetra and Link, breathing out threats upon their lives. Yet Link would not move, instead, with a determined expression, he kept conducting the wind.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck behind Tetra, making her lose her grip on Link, and she fell over. Getting up, she watched as Link conducted the winds to open the eye further. By Tetra's guess, at least three-fourths of the storm was now the eye. What remained was angry, violent, and bent on destroying them.

But the storm's intentions were in vain, despite the heavy amount of rain, lightning and wind, it began to recede slowly as Link would not back down. The Wind Waker was glowing so brightly now that Tetra thought it might explode with energy. It didn't, and instead, the storm clouds finally broke away, allowing the light of the sun to shine upon the island.

The rain stopped, the lightning stopped, and the wind calmed down to a gentle breeze. The storm was gone.

Link, dripping wet, suddenly fell to the ground. Tetra ran over to him, and knelt over his head. He smiled at her. "See? I told you I could stop it."

Tetra grinned at him. "Yes, you were right." She was so happy right now, so grateful that they were alive. She helped him to his feet and supported him with her arm, wrapping around his shoulder. Even after the storm was gone, Tetra could see Link gripping the Wind Waker in his left hand tightly. The glow was gone, and the artifact was not damaged, only wet.

Then, very abruptly, the board came down. Wide-eyed moblins, along with their chieftain stared at Link and Tetra. She reached for her shortblade, but then the moblins feel on their faces, worshiping them to Tetra's surprise.

"Behold!" the chieftain said. "Wind God has come to island!" He motioned to Link. "Come! Feast with us, O mighty Wind God, who stop great storm!" The moblins stood up and howled joyously.

_And me?_ They seemed to be completely ignoring Tetra. _Oh well, at least, he saved our lives._ "Link?" He turned his head to her. "Thank you."

Being beckoned by the chieftain, Link and Tetra headed into the ruins right behind the moblins.


	27. Chapter 26: The Vision

Chapter 26: The Vision

Link and Tetra were taken to a room where were many fire-pits, each with their own roasting stick hanging over them. _Wow, how many of those things do they have? _He wondered. _Strange, they must think gods eat or something._

Fighting and destroying that storm with the Wind Waker was very draining for Link, and so he appreciated Tetra's help in keeping him on his feet. Apparently, the natives noticed this, and handed him some cooked meat. It was so freshly cooked that the smell of it overcame the dusty, yet damp smell of the cavern.

"Oh... thanks," Link said wearily as he took the food. They all jumped at the sound of his voice, and he raised a curious eyebrow. He began to eat, and he could feel his strength coming back to him. "Hey, Tetra," he asked between bites. "Why are they so scared of me?"

Tetra shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they think you're a god, Link? Natives are always the touchy type—" She was cut off as a couple of large, burly moblins grabbed her.

It happened too fast for Link's tastes. He tried to stop it, but before he knew it, Tetra was being tied to a roasting stick. _What the? No!_ Dropping the meat, he drew his sword, and severed the ropes tied around her hands before she was placed over a fire-pit.

A loud commotion followed, filled with fearful grunts, and angry growls. The chieftain yelled in alarm, "what! Why does Wind God not like sacrifice! Why you insult tribe!"

As Link pulled Tetra away from them, he heard her growl. "Oh shut up! I'm his friend, you moron!"

"You not talk. You sacrifice!" the chieftain snapped. Tetra looked like she was about to jump the chieftain, but Link grabbed her, and dragged her into a corner.

"Ow!" he said as she stomped on his foot. "I'm trying to save your life, Tetra! If you run out there and attack them, they'll overpower you!"

"Oh, _you_ shut up, kid!" She glared at him. "They need to be taught a little lesson! No one tries to cook me!"

"Give sacrifice, Wind God!"

"No!" Link yelled. Then, all the moblins dropped to the ground, cowering, even the chieftain. _What the heck?_

"Forgive us, Wind God, we mean not anger you." The chieftain had his hands in front of his face. "We only desire to give you worthy offering for protecting tribe."

"You know..." Link said slowly. "You seemed to be safe inside your caverns here. The only ones I was protecting were Tetra and myself."

"Protective walls not always trustworthy, Wind God. Sometime break! Then storm flood home! ... many died."

"Ya know, considering you're a god to them," Tetra whispered. "the chieftain is awfully casual with you."

Link nodded. This seemed rather confusing, perhaps he didn't seem to command the authority of a god, but merely had the power of one. Or maybe this was always how the moblins talked to their deities. He wasn't sure.

"Now, please let us give sacrifice to you," the chieftain pleaded. There was a pause for a moment as Link pondered what to do. Then, as if he thought the islander had given his okay, the chieftain motioned for the moblins to advance on them. Their faces were filled with fear, but they slowly moved toward Link and Tetra, their eyes fixed upon her—occasionally darting to him.

Then, it came to Link. "I have an idea, Tetra," he said, and then he pulled her close and kissed her. There was a chorus of shocked gasps from the moblins.

They released, and Tetra narrowed her eyes dangerously at Link. "I'm going to slap you for that later..." she whispered. He felt her almost shove him away, but stopped, still glowering at him.

"Why? Why kiss sacrifice?"

"Because she isn't one," Link said flatly. "She's... uh... oh! She's a Wind Goddess." He glanced at Tetra and she looked as if she wanted to punch him in the face. "Calm down," he whispered. "I'm just doing this to—"

"Yes, I know, _kid,_" she said venomously. This time, she shoved him away, getting out of his arms.

_Why is she so angry? _he wondered. He turned his eyes back to the moblins. They had backed away, afraid and cowering.

The chieftain opened and closed his mouth. He had a horrified expression on his face, as if he almost committed a grave sin. "Wait, why not tell us before that she goddess!"

Link strained his mind for a proper response. He glanced at Tetra, who still was looking furious. _What can I tell him?_ The islander sighed and said the only thing that came to mind. "I forgot..."

"What? Gods don't forget!" The chieftain was starting to look irritated now. He was waving his staff around in violent motions, and there was a grim look in his eyes.

Link bit his lip. _Wait a second, I got something!_ "How do you know? Have you ever met a god besides me? A-and her?" he added quickly.

The chieftain looked confused. "Err... me not met other gods. ...you have good point."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. _Now Tetra's safe._ He dared a glance at her, and saw that she was fuming and leaning against the cavern wall with her arms folded. _Oh great... _ "C'mon, Tetra," he said. "Cut me some slack."

She snorted, and looked away from him, yet said nothing.

Link sighed again, this time with grief. _Was that kiss really so infuriating?_ He looked over to the moblins, they were still cowering, save the chieftain. "Uh... arise," he said, trying to think of what the goddesses said to the Hylians in the Book of Mudora. "Don't be afraid of me."

"You not angry...?" one of the moblins spoke up.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. In fact..." he paused, remembering where he was. "I need your help."

"What?" The chieftain blinked. "Why Wind God need help of us?"

A harmless smile spread over Link's face. "Well, I may be the god of Wind, but I'm no god of Water. I need a way to cross the waters to the large island beyond." He noticed the wide-eyed expressions of the moblins. "I have a great enemy that I must face there, and the land is in great danger unless I can cross these waters."

"Good one, kid," Tetra whispered behind him. He glanced back and noticed her expression had softened a little.

The islander smiled at her, but she didn't return it. Instead, she merely nodded at him with approval.

"Great Wind God," the chieftain said. Link turned his head toward the moblin. "We have no boats. We have wood, but no boats. Not know how to make boat."

The islander worked his jaw. "I... see." He thought he heard Tetra groan behind him. Link knew a little about how to build a boat, but not enough to get Tetra and himself across the Great Sea. He sat down, and picked up his meat and began to eat again. _What do I do? How can I build a strong enough boat to get to the mainland?_

"Great Wind God?" the chieftain spoke up, breaking Link from his thoughts. "What you do about problem?"

"I... don't know," he responded. Shocked expressions crossed the moblin's faces. "Again, I am a god of Wind, I know nothing of the water. I cannot build a boat with only the power of the wind." The islander felt slightly guilty for lying, but he did not want to confuse the moblins or make them suspicious.

_But... how are we going to get off this island then? I wish I could turn into wind and fly to the mainland, but that would leave Tetra behind._

"Wind God," the chieftain spoke up again. "It might not be place for me to speak to you this way. But... you speak to gods of Creation?"

"What? You mean Din, Farore, and Nayru?" Tetra interjected. Link nearly jumped; she had walked up beside him without being noticed. "You know about them?"

The moblins all nodded. "Come, let us show you Sacred Room," the chieftain said. He beckoned with his hand, and turned away toward an opening that led downward.

Link and Tetra exchanged looks, shrugged, and then followed the chieftain down the passageway. A few moblins joined them, appearing more relaxed than before. The islander took his meat down with them to finish it.

They arrived in a dimly-lit room with a strong smell of incense flowing throughout the air. Link watched as the chieftain and the moblins bowed down before a wall with paintings on it.

"Look at wall," the chieftain said. Link did so, and what he saw made him drop his meal.

Before him and Tetra stood a wall with markings of the Creation of Hyrule on it. First, on the far right, he saw a painting of a woman in red, holding her hand to the ground. Link followed her hand to an image below, which portrayed a scene of broken land coming together.

A part of the land seemed to point to its upper-right and the islander continued to follow the direction with his eyes. There, he saw a woman in a blue with her hand thrust below herself. There, he saw an image of the settled land with massive forms of water that rushed against it. Above, there were drawings of clouds that floated right below the woman's hand.

One cloud pointed to the upper-right, and again, Link followed it with his eyes. Drawn on the wall was an image of a woman in green. Both of her hands pointed downward. Below, the land and the water had settled, and there were drawn images of people walking about the land.

"Wow..." Link breathed.

Tetra nudged him and pointed to something drawn above the images of the goddesses. He looked up and saw the symbol of the Triforce.

After a few moments, the chieftain arose and turned to them. "You see images? We learn about gods of Creation from ancestors. Drawings on walls made by ancestors."

Link nodded. "So, that's how you know."

The chieftain grinned, showing his large, square teeth. "You know gods of Creation, you ask them. We taught in traditions that in time of need we speak to gods. Many times they turn away wrath of the wind."

_No wonder they were so scared,_ Link thought. _They must have thought I was a god of wrath and destruction._ He bit his lip. _Not to mention Tetra and I did kill a few of them._

"So, you 'speak' with the goddesses," Tetra said. "You mean praying, right?"

"Yes. Prayer what the humans call it." The chieftain nodded. "Why they call it that, I not sure. Because you speak to gods. Not pray. Not chant. You speak with gods. They speak back."

Tetra and Link exchanged looks again. Link had always been taught that prayer was two-way communication between himself and the goddesses. _But then why do they think that "prayer" means the same thing as "chanting?"_

Instead of asking about that, Link said, "well, where is the best place for you to... speak with the goddesses?" Tetra shot him a questioning look.

"Here. Why called Sacred Room," the chieftain explained, motioning with his staff toward the entire room. "You wish to speak with gods?"

Link nodded. "Yes." The chieftain nodded in response and motioned for the other moblins. They stood up, and turned to follow him.

"We leave you to speak with gods. Do you want Wind Goddess with you?"

The islander blinked, and thought he saw Tetra blush, but maybe it was just the lighting in the room. "Yes, I do. Though, it's her choice."

She let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'll stay." Link expected her to sound angry still, but instead her voice was much softer. He looked over and saw her gazing at the wall in silent respect.

The chieftain bowed, and the other moblins followed suit. Then, they left Tetra and Link alone in the room with quiet footsteps.

Link looked at the wall again, and then bowed himself on his knees like he did days ago when he prayed for Tetra's life. Closing his eyes, he began to pray silently, asking the goddesses for direction, guidance, and assistance.

As he finished his prayer, Link opened his eyes, and nearly fell back. Before him, he found himself gazing at rotating image of a small boat with a sail. He reached out to touch it, but his fingers passed through it. _What the...? What's going on here?_

A sudden warmth filled his heart, calming his body and his spirit, and then he understood. _The goddesses, they're... they're showing me this boat...! We're supposed to build it!_

The phantom-like boat continued to rotate in front of him, and then, it began to separate, showing Link each of the parts. It then came back together again, and he understood how to put it together.

_Tools..._ he thought. _I need tools to make this boat. Maybe the moblins have some._ Then, his vision began to blur and his eyes were blinded by white light. All of Link's strength left him and he collapsed on the ground.

-S-

It had been hours since Link had collapsed in the Sacred Room. Tetra had gotten a moblin to help her carry his unconscious body outside where the air was fresh, and now she was watching him—alone. At first, the moblins insisted upon staying, but she had forbade them. He needed room and air, but someone to watch him. Even though they referred to him as their 'Wind God,' she didn't trust them one bit alone with him.

Outside on the ledge where Link had stopped the storm, Tetra's mind was swimming. Her thoughts jumped from the kiss to the fact that the islander had collapsed so suddenly. She had a guess as to why, but she wasn't entirely sure.

Tetra sat on the grass with her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth. She looked over at the sleeping Link. She was still angry with him for kissing her. Well, angry and glad. If it weren't for that kiss, she would be a moblin's meal right now.

Yet, at the same time, the kiss had made her furious. _That darn kiss... it made me... __bah!_ She didn't want to think about it.

Sighing irritably, she continued to watch the islander quietly, occasionally glancing up at the orange, clear sky. She was still amazed at the power of the Wind Waker; it seemed to match the strength of the Ocarina of Time.

_I never thought something like the Wind Waker would exist. I knew there was the Wind Seal, but I didn't know what created it, besides something working with Ocarina of Time, but now I know._

She buried her face in her knees. _But that failed... and now Ganon has control over Hyrule. But we have to stop him!_

Then, she heard Link stirring nearby. She looked up, and saw the islander turn his head around. Slowly, he opened his green eyes, and smiled weakly.

"Good evening, sleepy-head," Tetra said with a smirk. "You were out for a few hours, there, kid. What happened?"

Link let out a small chuckle. "You'll never believe me, but... Tetra, after I finished praying, I saw... a vision."

_I knew it,_ Tetra thought. "A vision of what, Link?"

"Really? You believe me?" he asked with widening eyes.

She snorted, stood up and walked over to him. "Just tell me. I'm listening." She reached out with her hand, and he took it. Tetra lifted and helped him to his feet.

"Thanks," Link said with a stronger smile. He grabbed his cap and put it on his head. "It was a vision of a small boat. I saw it separate and come back together again. It's like the goddesses were showing me how to make it. I can still see it so clearly now."

"Well, then go make it."

Link rolled his eyes. "I need tools to make it, Tetra. I just can't build it with my hands. But, Tetra!" he said, his eyes glowing with excitement. "This is our chance to get back to the mainland! Then we can stop Ganon!"

Tetra frowned. "Somehow... I get the feeling that won't be so easy," she said. She noticed a curious expression on his face. "Yeah, I know, it isn't like me to be depressed. But you've got to remember, he's got the Triforce of Power in his grasp. Remember what he did to the ship? I don't even know if the boys are still alive."

Link's face became grave. "Yeah, I remember," he said. "But we've got to try. I thought you were afraid of the darkness that would consume Hyrule if Ganon—"

"He got his hands on the Triforce, Link," Tetra said sharply. "Hyrule is going to fall into darkness soon." She turned her head away from him, and let out a sigh.

She heard Link stomp his foot on the ground. "No. It won't!" he exclaimed, startling Tetra. She spun around and saw the determined glow in his eyes. "We'll do whatever it takes to stop him. Even if we're out-powered by him, or out-numbered by his Soul-less, or whatever. I'm not going to give up."

Tetra's breath was taken away. She felt stunned that he could be so bold, so strong, and yet still as young as her. There was a pause, and then she spoke, "you're right, Link. You're right." She found herself smiling again. Maybe there was hope yet.

He nodded. "Let's go talk to the chieftain. Maybe he has some tools we can use."

"All right, Link. You lead the way," Tetra said.

-S-

Inside the cavern, Link spoke with the chieftain about his prayer and his vision. The chieftain and his fellow moblins were again stunned.

"You see vision from gods?" he said, his eyes were wide. "Then, we build boat. But, we no not what boat look like."

"I do," Link said. "I know how we can build the boat because I can still see it clearly in my head." He paused. "Do you have any leather?"

The chieftain nodded. "Much leather. You may not seen, but many boars live on island. They hide when storm about to come. That why you not see them." With a curious look on his face, he asked, "why need leather?"

"So, I can draw the boat on it," Link responded. "That way, you and your people can help."

The chieftain grinned. "You be smart god. Goddess must be proud of you." Link looked at Tetra, who looked away. Whether she was angry or ashamed, he did not know.

"Why goddess look away?" the chieftain asked.

Tetra looked at him. "Nevermind that. Just get the leather. We need to make that boat as soon as possible."

The chieftain bowed to her, and motioned for the moblins to leave. A few minutes later, they returned, bearing a large piece of leather and a clay jar. They set the objects on a raised stone in the middle of the room. Link walked over to the stone, and looked into the jar. There was red paint inside.

"Where's the brush?"

"What you mean?"

Link looked at the chieftain and blinked. "Uhhh... a brush! You know... something to draw with?"

"We have no... 'brush,' use finger," the chieftain said, pointing at the jar. "We use fingers all time, especially to draw in Sacred Room. Mean no offense, but show us boat, Wind God. We want to help you as sacrifice for great mercy."

Link nodded. "Right." He dipped his finger in the jar, and began to draw the boat from memory. _This is harder than I thought!_ Multiple times, his finger smeared across the leather, ruining his drawing. His fingers were unstable trying to draw like this. _Dang it! Why is this so dang hard?_

"Need a hand, kid?" Tetra had appeared next to him.

"No," Link growled. "Let me do it. I know what the boat looks like."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you need to relax. Otherwise, the vision will just leave you because you're being so negative."

He almost glared at her when he realized she was right. Link looked at the smeared drawings, and none of them even resembled the boat he had seen. _Wait, what did it look like again?_ He calmed himself, letting out his frustration. Humbly, he prayed to the goddesses to help him again. Then, the image appeared in his mind clearly.

"I got it," he said. "Thanks, Tetra." She smiled at him, and Link returned the smile.

He started to draw again, allowing his finger to move across the leather in fluid motions. He drew a side view, a front view, and a top view of the ship. Because of the smeared drawings, he had no room for any other details, but after several hours of drawing, he had three detailed pictures of the boat.

"How's that?" he asked, wiping his finger on the edge of the leather.

Tetra was silent for a moment, blinked, and then asked, "how the heck did you do that?"

"That boat?" the chieftain asked. "That strong drawing. It clear. We be able to make boat no problem." He placed his fist on his chest and then bowed. "Oh, great Wind Gods, you be mighty in wisdom." The moblins got on their knees and bowed before Link and Tetra.

Link felt embarrassed. "Well... uh... you don't need to do that, really. Just help us build the boat, and that'll be enough." The moblins rose from their knees, looking confused. There was an awkward silence.

"We should get started," Tetra said, breaking the silence, and Link nodded.

"Cannot start yet," the chieftain said. "It nighttime." He pointed out of the cavern to the outside. There, Link saw a starry sky. "Nighttime for sleep. We make boat in morning when strength is full."

_Wow! I was drawing for that long?_ Link looked at the sky, baffled. "Uh... yeah, I guess," he said in response to the chieftain. "Tetra and I will go outside."

The chieftain looked confused. "Why outside? It warm in cave, and we have food."

"We'll be outside to watch for any other storms," Tetra said, cutting Link off before he could speak. "That way, you'll be safe while you sleep. Besides, we're the Wind gods, right? A little cool air won't harm us."

"Oh." The chieftain rubbed his chin. "That make sense. Then, we bring you food for great deeds you do for us. We give gratitude to gods."

"Good. We appreciate it," she said with a sly smirk on her face. She was eying Link.

_Oh man, what's she going to do me now?_ He swallowed and nodded. After conversing a little more with the moblins, Link and Tetra were given boar meat for the evening. They accepted it and went outside.

The air was cool and refreshing as Link stepped outside. He could smell the salty sea even from the top of the caverns. He looked over at Tetra nervously, but she had sat down and started eating her portion of the meal.

Link sat down, and started on his meat. Together, they ate in an uncomfortable silence. Finally, when Tetra finished, she said, "ya know, it's not bad being a Wind Goddess." She stood up and strode over to him and sat down. "Don't you think?"

"Well... I'm just a god to them," Link said, putting down his meat. "We're... not really gods, Tetra. We're just hylians."

"Yeah, whatever," Tetra said. "It's not like I don't know that."

"You've been really harsh to me today," he complained. "Why?"

She glared at him. "You forgot my promise, didn't you? Well, let me remind you." Suddenly, Link saw her draw her hand back and then was a loud slapping noise as she smacked him across the face, causing him to roll back. "I told you I'll slap you for kissing me. You just wanted to do that, didn't you?"

"No..." Link said, setting himself upright. "I was trying to save you. I promise." Tetra didn't look at him. "Please, Tetra... I'm... sorry. I..."

That's when she silenced him, with her own lips against his. When they released, she said, "shut up, kid. Shut up, and go to sleep." He looked at her, completely baffled. There was a pause and she smiled slightly. "Thank you for saving me... Link."

With that, she walked over to the other side of the cliff and laid down. Stunned and confused, Link's mouth opened and closed. Finally, he finished his meat, and rolled over on his side. He didn't think he could sleep, but then his eyes closed on their own, and he entered a world of dreams.


	28. Chapter 27: An Old Friend

Chapter 27: An Old Friend

That morning, Link, and the moblins began work on the boat. Tetra had been asleep when Link woke up, and he decided to leave her alone. He was still bewildered because of her kiss, however, he pushed it from his mind as he worked.

The moblins had some silk cloth they could use to make the sail,and plenty of wood to make the hull. The chieftain gladly provided some primitive tools, a hammer made of stone, a set of hardened clay clamps, stone nails, flint adzes, and of course, piles of wood.

"Where did you get all these tools?" Link asked. _How do these natives have such advanced tools?_ he wondered, despite the fact that they were not quite as well-made or fine like hylian tools.

"We make. Some come from ancestors. We use some for harvest, others for torches, others for tables. Why ask?"

"Uh..." Link paused. He didn't want to insult the tribe by thinking low of them. "I was just surprised, that's all. Your people are smart."

"Thank you, great Wind God," the chieftain said with a bow. "This what we need to build boat."

"Another question," the islander said. "Where did you get all the wood? I don't remember seeing a lot of trees here." He glanced around, trying to find any trees that had been hidden from sight.

"Much wood come here from water," the chieftain explained. "We dry, we use. We not know where wood come from."

_That's right, this island is in the Dead Seas, I think, otherwise, where did that storm come from? But, if that's true, then that means the ships that pass through here..._ He swallowed, thinking about the sailors drowning in the Great Sea, and he shivered.

"Why look so worry, great god?" the chieftain asked.

Link looked up at him. He found it odd that the chieftain seemed so concerned with a "god" who was more powerful than him. "Uh... nothing. Let's get to work."

Most of the moblins were on their own task, some gathered wood, others worked together in constructing the ship. Link led the groups and allowed them to view the drawings of the ship. During the night, older moblins had made copies of the drawings so that all would have one.

Despite the fact that he did most of the directing, Link assisted in building the sail, and the hull, even though the moblins protested.

"Wind God not work on boat!" one exclaimed. "Wind God should rest, and command!"

Link shook his head. "It's my boat, too. I saw the vision, so I've got the best idea of how to build it." They would still murmur from time to time, but allowed him to work.

"We must paint ship!" one moblin said at one point. "To honor great gods!"

"Later, later," Link said, almost laughing. "It's got to be finished first."

While he was hammering a nail into a part of the small boat, he felt someone poke his shoulder. Link looked up to see a sleepy Tetra smiling at him.

"Uh... good morning, Tetra," he said, his face feeling warm.

"Good morning, kid," she said rather nonchalantly. She stretched. "Looks like you're all very busy."

"Yeah..."

"Something wrong?" Tetra asked. She sounded legitimately concerned.

Link bit his lip. "That kiss last night..." he said, lowering his voice so the moblins couldn't hear. "Why did you...? I mean, you hated the kiss I gave you, and then it seems so random that you would do the same."

Tetra snorted. "You were whining too much. I thought it was the most appropriate way to shut you up. Besides," she added with a smirk. "I know you enjoyed it."

Anger seethed up in Link's chest. "You're playing with my heartstrings again!" he exclaimed, forgetting to keep his voice down. He threw the hammer onto the ground. "That's so cruel, Tetra! How can you do that? And no, I didn't enjoy it! I was completely confused."

Tetra backed away, looking shocked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't expect you to take it like this," she said. "I guess I should've left your mouth alone." Her voice had turned cool toward him.

Link grit his teeth, fighting back tears. "I'm really getting tired of your attitude," he growled.

"_My_ attitude?" Tetra narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Link... don't you dare...!"

"Oh, I dare all right," Link snarled. "What are you going to do about it, Tetra?"

She slapped her hand across his face. "That." She snorted, turning away from him and running back into the caverns.

Link rubbed his tender cheek. _Ow... well, fine. If she wants to be a wench about it, then I'll let her._ He paused. _Still... I hurt her feelings,_ he thought, feeling slightly guilty.

He picked up the hammer, still rubbing his cheek when he realized all the moblins had stopped working; every fearful eye on him. Wiping his forehead, Link took in deep breaths and then said, "c'mon, everyone, let's get back to work."

They wouldn't move.

"What's wrong?"

The chieftain finally spoke. "We scared of Wind Gods' wrath, great one."

"We were just arguing with each other," Link explained with a sigh. "Don't worry about it. I'm not angry at you, neither is she."

The chieftain looked baffled. "Eh? Gods get angry with each other?"

Link frowned. "Well, not all gods do, but we do. Come on, everyone, let's get back to work. I promise there will be no more out-bursts." He started hammering away at the nail he had set, and shortly after the islander could heard the other moblins going back to work.

The islander hammered in the nail perfectly. However, he slipped during the process, and hit his thumb. "Ow! Blast," he exclaimed. "Dang it... why can't I stop thinking about her?" he muttered to himself.

He looked at his sore thumb and frowned. _Come on, I've suffered worse than this._ He moved away from the boat and went to the other moblins to see how they were doing.

As he approached a small group of them, Link noticed that they were throwing frightened glances at him. "Don't be afraid," he said as softly as he could. "I'm not going to bring my wrath upon you. How's the sail coming?"

The moblins relaxed a little, and one said, "sail come together well. But me and friend frustrated."

"What's the problem?"

"Know not how sail attach to wood," he grunted.

Link smiled. "Well, I know how to put together a sail. Let me look at it."

The two moblins glanced at each other and then moved back. The islander examined the sail-in-progress. "Ah, I see the problem," he said. "The mast isn't securely tied properly." He undid the knots, and tied them together to secure the mast. "There, see how it's done?" he asked.

"Ooh... you smart, Wind God," one of the moblins said. The other nodded. "Where you learn?"

"Oh... uh..." Link bit his lip, and paused. "You know, I've met with the Water Gods," he said. "They taught me a little about boats, but not much."

He would have learned how to build a small boat if he had stayed at Outset longer after his fourteenth birthday. They never taught children, especially boys, how to build a small boat until they were of age.

The moblins nodded as if they understood what he was talking about.

"Okay, now you've got to attach the sail." He noticed it was made of woven cloth, and it was a little rough around the edges. "Do you have any string?"

"Yes, great god," one of the moblins said.

"How thick is it?"

"Very thick, almost like rope."

Link sighed with relief. "Great! Let's get it attached, I'll show you how."

-S-

Tetra was fuming in the caves. How could have Link treated her like that? Keeping herself in a dark corner, she didn't want to be seen by anyone—especially the kid.

She wiped her eyes. _Oh, come on, Tetra,_ she thought to herself. _He's just a friend... a sort of friend._ Still, her eyes felt wet, and she bit her lip. _Those words... really stung. My attitude? Playing with his heartstrings? Since when did I do that?_

Tetra was regretting kissing Link last night. She thought it would have been exactly what he wanted, but she never expected him to be confused or angry about it. _When he yelled... he surprised me. He isn't so aggressive most of the time._

She curled up into a ball with her back to the wall, and put her head between her knees. _Why the heck is this bothering me so much?_

Tetra could still hear Link and the moblins working on the boat outside. She could hear some of his commands to them, and it sounded like they were putting all the parts of the boat together.

_We're going to leave soon._ Tetra sighed. _Why is it that I don't I want to leave? I mean, the moblins did try to kill me._ Perhaps she didn't want to face Link with her emotions in such a tumultuous state.

Listening to the sounds of beating, hammering and clamping, she still wondered what to do. The smell of fresh paint flowed into her nose. It seemed like an hour passed before the sounds ceased. Yet she still did not move.

Then, she heard footsteps, and she saw the islander enter the cave. She could see his anxious face in the torchlight. _Is he in pain, too?_

"Tetra?" he called out. "Tetra?" He looked around, and then glanced in her direction. Normally, she wouldn't even flinch, but this time, she almost jumped. She half-expected him to walk over to her position, but he looked away; a puzzled expression on his face. He let out a disappointed sigh and scratched his head.

_Should I reveal myself? Or should I just stay quiet?_ She milled over her options silently.

As she did so, Tetra noticed him walk deeper in the caverns, calling out her name. When he was out of ear-shot, she sighed and folded her arms. _Why... should I care?_ She paused. _Because he's my friend._

Finally, she gave into her feelings, and called out, "Link, I'm down here!"

She heard running footsteps echo throughout the cavern and he reappeared from the cavity. He gazed around the room, looking confused. "Huh? Where are you?"

Tetra walked out of her hiding spot. "I'm right here, silly."

His shoulders slumped. "I didn't even see you there. How was I supposed to know?"

"Still angry at me?"

"Uh!" He bit his lip. "Well... no, not anymore. I... I'm sorry for being so harsh." He hung his head and groaned.

She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You know, those words really stung, Link." The pirate girl looked at him sideways. "I didn't appreciate them."

Link's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. His face was filled with guilt and pain.

"But..." she said, sighing. "I forgive you. Let's stop this, kay?" She let go of his shoulder, and allowed herself to smirk. "Come on, stop looking like a wagon just ran over you, kid. There's a boat waiting for us."

He smiled, and wiped his eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

Tetra snorted. "Well, let's go then."

Link nodded, and he led the way out of the cavern.

Outside, Tetra found herself looking at the rock-filled shore. The moblins had brought flat rocks from inside the cavern to work on the boat, and it appeared that it had been quite effective as the boat had been assembled. When they saw Tetra and Link, they all bowed themselves to the sand.

"Great gods," the chieftain said. "Look at boat made for you!"

Tetra looked over his head to see a simple, yet fantastic-looking boat. It was small enough to fit herself and the islander snugly on the seats, yet it looked so grand that she thought she was gazing upon a little model of a large ship.

The ends of the boat were peaked, and it was painted with swirling pictures of the wind upon a sky-blue hull. The sail also had a symbol of wind on it, and she could see that it woven well, despite the rough edges. She felt honored, as if she were a goddess like they believed her to be.

"Great job, everyone!" Link said. He was smiling brightly.

Tetra had to restrain herself from laughing. _He's ridiculous. He treats them all like good friends. _She paused. _Well... they did help us out, _she thought, correcting herself.

"Yeah, that's a very well-made boat," she added. "The sail looks wonderful, and the hull is grand." She nudged Link in the ribs. "All of you did an excellent job."

The moblins lifted their heads and smiled. She couldn't help but smile back. The chieftain rose to his feet and beckoned Link and Tetra to the boat. The two nodded, and walked over to it. They sat on the boat—which only had enough room for the two of them.

"We wish luck to great gods," the chieftain said. "We hope you kill great evil."

"We will," Link said. "Thank you for all your help. Though, sorry about the moblins we killed."

"They die with honor," the chieftain said. He waved the apology aside. "They knew not you gods. If had known, they would worship instead fight."

Tetra nodded. _I suppose that makes sense._

"Well, good-bye," Link said to the moblins. He waved at them. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

Tetra smirked and added, "hopefully, on good terms, too."

Across from her, the islander looked at her as if to say, "ready?" She nodded again, and he pulled out the Wind Waker. The baton's tip shimmered and the wind began to blow against the sail. The moblins pushed the boat into the water and the wind pushed it across the gentle waves.

She was pleased to see that their little vessel stayed afloat on the water. She saw the moblins waving their good-byes to the two as their small boat was pushed forward away from the island by the power of the Wind Waker.

Link was waving the baton with light motions, causing a gentle breeze to push against the sail. While Tetra didn't want to break his concentration, she said, "you might want to make it a little stronger, kid. There's no way we can reach the mainland at this rate."

He stopped and nodded. "You're right, but if the sail breaks, we won't be moving at all."

"Link, Ganon still has the Triforce of Power. How we're going to defeat him, I don't know, but take a risk for the sake of Hyrule!"

"All right, all right." He waved the Wind Waker again, and the wind grew stronger, pushing the boat across the Great Sea at a much faster pace. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. Tetra wondered how long it would take to cross the sea to reach the mainland.

Soon, Tetra could no longer see the moblins' island, and she found herself, and Link, in the middle of the Great Sea. _The Dead Seas, in fact. I hope we don't get hit by a storm. _She rubbed her hands together and licked her lips at the thought of being swept up by a violent storm.

Her stomach growled, reminding her of hunger. She took out the last piece of stale meat she had on her, and glanced at Link.

His eyes were closed, and he seemed completely focused on controlling the wind. _He's got to be hungry, too. Unless those moblins fed him. But I just can't break his focus!_ She looked at the meat, and then back to him. With her hands, she split the piece of meat in half, and stored one of the halves away in her adventurer's pouch.

About an hour later, Tetra was not only bored, but anxious. Link looked like he was ready to collapse, and the wind was getting weaker and weaker. Finally, she said, "kid, snap out of it! You need to eat!"

Link shook his head vigorously, and opened his eyes. The wind died down completely as he lowered the baton. "Yeah, you're right," he said. He put a hand to his stomach and burped. "Uh... sorry."

Tetra shrugged. She pulled out the other half of meat she had saved for him, and handed it over. "There, I saved that for you so you wouldn't die."

He smiled. "Thanks, Tetra." He took a large bite out of the meat, and spoke through huge bites. "Thish ish delicious!"

She rolled her eyes. "It's actually really stale, Link. Anything tastes delicious when you've been hungry long enough." She shook her head and smirked.

Link swallowed. "I think that's all that matters, right?"

"Oh, yes, let's forget about nutrition," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's all about taste, even if it kills you."

He laughed. "Good point," he said, swallowing. "So, how long do you think it'll take us to reach the mainland from here?"

Tetra snorted. "I have no idea. We've already been out here for an hour, Link." Then, thick mist began to gather around the boat, obscuring their view. "Great... now we can't see."

He scratched his cap, frowning. "Hrm... I could easily get rid of this mist, but my feet are aching from standing."

"Oh, please!" Tetra slapped her face. "Hyrule's in darkness, and you're complaining about your feet!"

"I'm just saying!" Link scowled. His expression relaxed and he let out a sigh. "You're right, I shouldn't be complaining, Tetra. I—"

Suddenly, their boat shifted violently in the water. Tetra gripped the rails of the boat to keep herself steady, yet the boat continued to shake, almost knocking her out of it. Link was holding onto the rails himself, and he was looking around—possibly for the source of the problem.

Then, Tetra felt the boat being pulled up, and the cranking of a chain above them. "Link! Whoa!" The boat shook again, and she was tossed out, managing to grab the railing at the last second. "Gah!"

She felt a hand grab her arm. It was Link. He held onto the boat while trying to pull her back onto the deck. _You're really risking your life to save me, kid?_ She felt abashed. Reaching up with her left hand, she grabbed his arm, and allowed Link to pull her in.

Tetra fell on top of him. "Oof!" She dragged herself off of him and grabbed the railing again.

"That's not going to work, just hold onto me!" Link cried out. He held out his left arm to her while grasping the mast. Tetra reached out and took his arm with her hand, hanging on for dear life.

Through the mist, Tetra could see the arm of the crane above them. _I knew it..._ And the deck of a large ship before them. The boat stopped rocking, but she still held onto Link.

"We have them, captain!" a voice cried out. Tetra recognized that voice, and she knew it wasn't friendly.

"Good job, mateys," said another familiar voice. Normally, she wouldn't be afraid, but without her boys, she was defenseless against this foe. The captain's voice called out to them. "'Hoy, Tetra, and Link, get on board."

"No way, Ghashar," Tetra said. "Not in a million years!"

Link's eyes widened. "Ghashar!"

"Hmph, I figured you'd resist," Ghashar's voice said. "Pull 'em onto the deck, mates."

Tetra drew her short blade to defend herself, and she heard Link draw his sword. _What the heck can we do against probably over a dozen, maybe even twenty bokoblin pirates?_ Her breath was fast and heavy.

Then, bokoblin hands came out of the mist and grappled her, she stabbed the arm with her short blade, and she heard the monster cry out. He didn't let go of her, though. Another shout next to her told her that Link had also fought back.

"Stop that!" Ghashar's voice said. "I ain't interested in takin' yer lives!"

Tetra was tossed onto the deck of his ship, and she saw Link slam into the wooden planks next to her. "Yeah, that's really convincing," she said with a groan. "Throwing us onto the deck and saying you're not going to kill us. Really...? You can lie better than that!"

She got up, and the mist began to clear. The deck of the black ship was visible now as were at least ten bokoblins. Oddly enough, they did not have their weapons drawn.

_What's going on?_ Tetra wondered. "This... is a trick isn't it?"

Then, Ghashar came into view. He was no longer wearing his fancy clothes, but a blue shirt and black pants. His expression was rather sober. "I told ya, I ain't interested in killin' either of you. In fact, I've been told ta bring ya two to the mainland."

"Who told you?" Link asked.

"A moblin named Rashu," Ghashar responded.

"What?" the islander exclaimed. "No way! Why would Rashu tell you to save us?"

There was a long pause. The mist continued to clear and Tetra could see the whole ship now. It had changed since she last saw it. The sail was completely different now—a picture of a bird adorned it, and the skulls that once hung all over the ship were gone.

"What's with your ship?" she asked. "It looks like you went through a re-decorating or something."

Ghashar smiled. It was a kind, gentle smile. "Tough as always, Tetra? I'll tell ya why I decided to save ya and listen to Rashu. I've changed. I'm not a pirate anymore."

Tetra lowered her weapon. "That's... not... possible," she stammered. Despite what she said, she had a feeling he was telling the truth. "I... don't believe it."

"Look, my mates don't have their weapons out," Ghashar said. "I'm not armed, and I don't have any desire ta kill anymore. Not to kill anyone." He frowned, a sad frown. "Besides... ain't it Ganondorf who's greatest terror in the world now?"

"You know about that?"

Ghashar nodded. "Come into my cabin, you two," he said, beckoning them with a hand. "I'll promise ta explain everything in there."

Tetra exchanged looks with Link. He sighed and shrugged, and then sheathed the Master Sword. "Come on, let's at least listen to him."

She groaned and put away her weapon. "All right, fine."

Ghashar turned around and headed toward a door on the ship while Tetra and Link followed him.


	29. Chapter 28: Battle at Sea

Chapter 28: Battle at Sea

Ghashar opened the door for Link and Tetra. Link had only seen the outside of the ship, so he didn't know what to expect.

When he walked in, the room was made wood, painted a deep black. There were torches in each corner of the room. Yet, Link didn't feel any discomfort standing inside. Perhaps it was because he was expecting human skulls to be lining the ceiling, and perhaps he expected it to be dim. But the torches provided a good amount of light.

Ghashar led Link and Tetra down a hallway. "Things have changed, mates," he said, his voice sober.

"Like how?" Tetra asked. "Besides saving our lives, that is."

Link nodded. "Yeah, what happened?" He noticed Ghashar's missing right hand, and he could see a wooden stump protruding from his coat sleeve. They reached a door with an insignia that Link could not recognize.

"Come inside me cabin and I'll tell ye," he said, opening the door. The three entered and he closed the door behind them.

Inside, Link saw a wooden desk near the doorway near the left wall. There was a portalway at the end of the room, which he assumed led to Ghashar's sleeping quarters. On the wall above his desk was his sword—the same one he had used in his fight against Link.

Ghashar sat down at his desk and looked directly at the two. "I have no desire to murder or plunder anymore, mates."

"Why?" Tetra asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"Because I remembered Link's words ta me when he cut off me hand," Ghashar said. "At first, I was very angry. But, them words kept hitting me heart. I reflected on them again and again, and came to the conclusion that friends and loved ones were more important than jewels or victories."

"But, it's been such a short time, Ghashar," Tetra said. "How could you have changed so quickly?"

Link nodded. It seemed a bit suspicious, yet he couldn't help but believe Ghashar. His words seemed sincere, and there was no deception on his face.

"Well, it wasn't just Link's words," Ghashar said. "It was also Rashu." He placed his hands together (well, his hand and his stump). "The old moblin came to me and told me about yer fight against Ganondorf. And like you, Tetra, I feared him. I knew there was something wrong with him, I could feel it in me bones. Yet, I never knew that he wanted to rule our world and take the Triforce for himself. I admire ye two for standing up to him."

"And then Rashu told you to save us?" Link asked.

"More than that," Ghashar said. "He wanted me to look fer ya. After that, he gave me something strange."

"And that was?" Tetra asked with a raised brow.

"This."

Ghashar opened a drawer in his desk and took out a small, purple medallion. Link could feel it radiating with magic like the Master Sword. He glanced at Tetra, and noticed that her eyes had widened in surprise.

"He said it was important, but that he couldn't tell me yet what it was fer," Ghashar explained. "He said because of the change in me heart that I was 'worthy' to have it. I have no clue what it's fer."

"Th-that... can't be!" Tetra said, stepping back.

"What is it?" Link asked, looking at her.

She paused for a moment and bit her lip. "No, it's nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"Tetra... if ye know something, ye shouldn't hide it," Ghashar said.

She folded her arms and snorted. "I'm not hiding anything," she said, looking away.

Link paused. He wondered what she was thinking. _Maybe I should ask her later..._ "Hey, Ghashar," he said, looking at the former pirate-captain. "Are you going to take us to the mainland?"

"Yar," he said. "That's what Rashu wanted. He believes ya two be the only ones who can stop Ganondorf."

"Huh?" Tetra stared at Ghashar. "Us? Why us? I mean, I've thought that myself, but he has the Triforce of Power. Without Wisdom and Courage, we can't defeat him." She bit her lip.

"But someone has to stop him," he said, snapping his fingers. "Otherwise, we all know that Hyrule will be destroyed fer good." He gazed at Tetra, and then stood up. "Tetra... I don't have any use fer it anymore."

"Use for what?"

Ghashar turned around and pulled down his sword from wall behind his desk. "Tetra, I want ya ta take me sword." The sword was sheathed in its fine leather scabbard, and the jewels glistened in the dim light.

Link's eyes widened, and he heard Tetra gasp. He looked at her, and saw her eyes had widened, too. Her face was twisted in disbelief. "No... no way! I have my own weapon... and that sword is your personal one. Why should I get it?"

Ghashar sighed. "Please, matey, take it. Ye'll need it ta fight Ganondorf. No offense," he added. "But yer small blade not be good fer fighting a king of evil."

"But..." Tetra started. Ghashar forced the weapon into her hands. "How... how are you supposed to defend yourself without a sword?"

He smiled. "Ya know I told Link that this sword was me finest blade, right? I have other weapons ta keep me safe," he explained. "But, ya need that sword. I just have this feelin' that ya will."

Tetra frowned, yet took the sword. Ghashar grabbed a belt and handed it to her. "Huh?" She blinked. "What's this for?"

"So ye can strap it to yer back," he said. He pointed to Link. "Like yer friend here."

Link watched as Tetra, with hesitant motions, strapped the curved sword to her back using the belt. He understood why she felt so; Ghashar just seemed to have changed so much in so little time, Link still couldn't believe it.

"Cap'n!" a bokoblin's voice yelled from outside. His voice was urgent. Ghashar ran for the door and opened it. A purple-skinned bokoblin pirate with fear in his eyes and a quivering mouth stood there. "One o' Ganon's ships on the portside!"

Ghashar's eyes widened. "No... not again."

"Ganon's!?" Link and Tetra exclaimed together.

The former pirate captain turned his head to them and nodded gravely. "Yar, Ganon has his own ships patrollin' the mainland. We're goin' ta have to fight our way through."

Tetra seemed to relax. "I know how to command a ship in naval combat," she said. "That is, if you need any help."

"Sure thing, sure thing," Ghashar said with two nods. "Link, do ya know how ta use a swivel gun?"

"What? Uh... no," Link said, shaking his head. "What's a 'swivel gun?'"

"One of me mates will show ya," he said, glancing at the pirate. He nodded and motioned for Link to follow. "Tetra! I'll be at the helm, you give the commands, aye?"

For the first time, Link saw Tetra give Ghashar a friendly smile. "Aye."

-S-

Ganon's vessel was a mockery of the Royal Family Vessels. Instead of the seal of Hyrule on its sails, it carried a visage of Ganondorf himself. Fortunately, as far as Link could tell, there wasn't a sign of him onboard. The ship was massive and as one of the crew members told him, it was a man-o-war, which meant it was a heavily armed ship.

Link had been given to a rough, unfriendly bokoblin pirate. "Jus' because cap'n Ghashar likes ya, doesn't mean I'll be nice, ya hear?" he had said as Link walked up to the swivel gun.

Just as its name suggested, it was a weapon with a cannon-shaped barrel about half the size of a regular canon that swiveled in whatever direction Link wanted to.

"These things have a heavy recoil, boy," the pirate snarled at him. "So, don't ye fall ov'r! And be sure ta aim them, right!"

Link nodded, resisting a glare at the pirate. _I hate guys like him, _he thought.

Link was standing on a plank to raise himself to eye-level with the railing; making it easier for him to control the swivel gun. He took a glance back and saw Ghashar controlling the helm with Tetra standing next to him. She caught Link's eye and winked at him. Returning the wink, he looked back at the sea toward Ganon's man-o-war.

The enemy ship approached, lining up side-by-side by Ghashar's.

"Give me half-sail!" Tetra yelled to the bokoblin pirates. Link saw half of sails fold back and the wind pressed against the fabric of the sails. He wondered why Tetra didn't want a full-sail right now.

"Focus, boy!" the bokoblin next to him growled.

"Right, right, but I have a question: what's the point of 'half-sail?'" Link asked.

"Half-sail allows this 'ere ship ta be easier ta turn fer the cap'n," he explained. "Here comes the man-o-war, get yer weapon ready, but only on da cap'n's mark."

Ghashar's ship (which had been named the 'Skull Crusher' according to one of his crew members), turned swiftly heading toward the man-o-war. Link's heart filled with panic.

"Wait! We're in their line of sight!"

"Dun question da cap'n's orders, boy!" the bokoblin growled at him.

"Prepare the Swivel Guns!" Tetra commanded. "Fire on my mark!"

Link grabbed the handles of his swivel gun and aimed for the man-o-war. It was difficult for him to control, but he kept his hands as steady as possible.

"Aim for the hull, boy," the bokoblin ordered.

Link nodded, and did as he was told. Then, he heard Tetra yell, "Fire!"

He fired his swivel gun at the enemy ship's hull. He didn't know if he hit or not because the gun did have a recoil and it knocked him back onto the deck.

"I told ye not ta fall!" the bokoblin hissed at Link. "But... ya hit the hull square, boy, so dat's something fer ya. Load that there gun," he added, pointing to the small cannon ball.

Link got up back onto his plank and grabbed the swivel gun. He loaded the gun with the cannon ball according the bokoblin directions. He heard a crew member shout, "cap'n! They're preparin' their cannons!"

"Then we turn!" Ghashar said loudly.

The Skull Crusher swiftly turned to the right and pushed alongside the man-o-war.

"_Everyone brace!_" Tetra yelled in command. Link wasn't sure what that meant, but the bokoblin training him forced him to the deck. Enemy cannon balls came flying at ship. Link felt the Skull Crusher shake with every hit, but most of the cannon balls must have missed because he heard a lot of splashing behind and in front of him.

"Up!" Tetra commanded. Link got up and took hold of his swivel gun. He took a quick around the ship. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have taken much damage, apparently, the brace had protected some of the ship.

"Arm the cannons and give me full sail!" Tetra shouted. The sails unfurled completely. "Fire on my mark! Swivel gunners! Prepare to fire also! Aim for the enemy's sails!"

"Aye aye!" Link responded naturally. He aimed his swivel gun toward the man-o-war's sails.

Then Tetra yelled, "fire all weapons!" Link blasted his swivel gun, and this time was not knocked back so much that he managed to hold his position. His shot flew in the air, missing his target. Link grit his teeth and reloaded.

The other swivel guns hit their marks, and tore holes in the enemy ship's sails. As for the Skull Crusher's cannon balls, most of them struck the hull of the man-o-war. What surprised Link, though, was that Ganon's ship did not appear to be very damaged.

He overheard Ghashar speak to Tetra. "A chain shot from our cannons would do better ta strike down them sails!"

"Right!" Tetra said. "Load chain shots for all cannons! And prepare to fire on my mark! Swivel gunners aim for the hull!"

Again, Link turned his gun toward the enemy's hull. Suddenly, cannon balls shot out of the man-o-war without warning. Tetra cried out to brace, but it was a little late, and the Skull Crusher was taking heavy damage. Link had to struggle to keep on his feet as the ship shook. He glanced around and saw small fires bursting from the deck.

"Damage report!" Ghashar shouted.

"Jus' a scratch; nuthin' we can't handle, cap'n!" one of the crew members said. Link noticed that he doused some of the flames with a bucket of water.

"Return fire!" Tetra ordered. Link shot for the hull and struck it dead-on. The chain shots from the Skull Crusher's cannons ripped through the sails of the enemy man-o-war and tore down the masts. Link was impressed with Ghashar and Tetra's knowledge of sea combat.

The man-o-war returned fire again; Tetra called a brace and everyone hit the deck in time. The enemy cannon balls still slammed into the ship, but the damage was less severe than before.

"Half-sail!" Tetra called. "We're going to board the ship!"

_Board?_ Link thought. _Why? Why not just sink it?_ Regardless, the sailors cheered and Ghashar bought the Skull Crusher close to the man-o-war.

"Get off yer gun, boy!" the bokoblin ordered. "I be thinkin' dat Miss Tetra wants ye to join 'er."

"That's right," Tetra's voice came from behind Link. "Come on, kid, let's go!"

"Aye aye!" Link said. He let go of his swivel gun and followed Tetra. The sailors had loosened some ropes. "How do we board, Tetra? ... and why? Why not sink the ship?"

"We're not sinking it because there could be prisoners on-board that could give us information about the king," she explained. She motioned to one of the loose ropes. "We're going to swing across on these ropes and land on their ship. Are you ready, Link?"

He nodded. "Yeah!" He grabbed one of the ropes and stepped back. Tetra did the same, and together with a shout, they swung onto the enemy ship's deck. Many other bokoblins followed suit.

When Link landed, he was met by an army of Soul-less. There were royal family guards, moblins, and bokoblins. He heard Tetra shout to Ghashar's men, "don't shatter any of the orbs! These are Soul-less!"

"Aye-aye!" they said.

A bloody battle commenced between Ghashar's men, Tetra, Link, and the Soul-less. Many of the Soul-less overpowered the bokoblins, but they were fewer in number. Men fell due to loss of blood, but other slew as many Soul-less as possible. Soon, Soul Orbs were scattered across the deck.

As for Link, he faced off with a Soul-less moblin. Link ducked a spear thrust, and rolled around, back-slicing the moblin's back. Then, Link brought the Master Sword down and skewered the moblin through the middle. The moblin exploded in a puff of black smoke, leaving an orb behind. Link took the orb and stuffed it in his adventurer's pouch.

Then, he barely managed to duck a sword swing from one of the royal guards. He raised his sword to attack, but then a throwing dagger flew in front of him and struck the royal guard in the neck, killing him.

Link looked over to see Tetra winking at him, and her belt was down one throwing dagger. Link winked back.

"Let's get below deck, Link!" Tetra said to him. "I'm sure Ghashar's men will finish the rest off, we need to find those prisoners!"

"Right!" Link and Tetra, dodging attacks from enemies, smashed open the door to the lower deck and they jumped down into it.

Tetra, as if she knew where the prisoners were being kept (if there were any) dashed down the halls. Link followed her, keeping his sword drawn in case there were more Soul-less.

And there were. Two Soul-less royal guards faced them, carrying spears. Tetra nodded at Link and he nodded back. The first guard came at him and tried to stab him through the stomach. Link shifted to the right, but his left shoulder was struck by the point of the spear.

He winced, dropped the Master Sword and pulled out his bow. Nocking an arrow and backing away from the Soul-less, he let the arrow fly right into his foe's face. The Soul-less let out a cry of pain, pulling the arrow out. Black blood dripped from his face.

Link unleashed another arrow onto the Soul-less, this time striking him in the chest. The Soul-less fell over and disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Link, wincing from the wound in his left shoulder, grasped the bleeding wound, putting pressure on it.

He looked over to see Tetra dancing with the other royal guard. The Soul-less looked extremely frustrated as he tried to strike the nimble pirate. She drew Ghashar's sword and cleanly sliced the Soul-less in half, finishing him.

She looked at Link. "Are you okay?" she asked, sounding concern. She ran up to him. "What happened, Link?"

"I was stabbed," Link said. "Do you have any potions on you?"

Tetra shook her head. "We lost most of our stuff when Ganon destroyed the ship, remember?" she said. "However, I do have these." She removed from her adventurer's pouch some cloth. She bandaged the cloth around Link's wound tightly. "There, hopefully that will heal. Can you carry the Master Sword still?"

"I think so," Link said, putting away his bow. He picked up the sword with his left hand and his shoulder protested painfully. Wincing, he immediately sheathed the blade. "Come on, let's see if there are some prisoners here."

Tetra nodded in agreement, and tried to open the door. "Crap. I should have figured it was locked. Step back, Link." She pulled out a bomb and lit the fuse. Together, Link and Tetra ran away from the door and waited. A loud explosion sounded throughout the deck, and Link looked to see that the door had been blown apart.

Together, Link and Tetra went inside. It was dark in the room, and Link figured it was the hold.

Tetra grabbed an unlit torch off the side of wall and used a flint to light it. The torch spread its light into the hold and in the distance, Link could see cages.

"Help us!" voices came from the cages. "Please!"

Tetra and Link ran down the stairs into the hold and came upon two cages filled with hylians. Link saw the locks on the cages and groaned. "How do we free them?" he asked.

"Just wait," Tetra said, handing him the torch. She took out two tools from her pouch. "Thank goodness I didn't lose these." She put the tools in the lock, and Link realized that they were lock-picks.

It took several moments, but Tetra managed to break the lock on the first one. "Set them free, Link," she said. She looked at the prisoners. "Don't run yet, we have questions for you."

Link opened the door to the first cage while Tetra worked on the other. Some of the prisoners did not obey Tetra and ran for it. A few stayed, however. Link heard Tetra curse, and he looked over to see her glaring at the escaping prisoners.

The ones in the second cage obeyed however. They looked fearful, probably not sure if Tetra and Link were friends or foes.

"It's okay," Link said, trying to relax them. "We're here to rescue you."

"We just need to know... what's happened to the king?" Tetra asked the prisoners.

They shook their heads and Link let out a sigh. Then, one of the prisoners said, "I know! He's taken refuge west of Kakariko Port Town. Ganondorf's forces attack him daily."

"Thank you," Tetra said. "That's what I needed to know. Now, go! Run and avoid as many enemies as you can! Get onto the black ship!"

They nodded and ran up the hold's stairs. Tetra looked at Link and nodded at him. "You did a good job at the swivel gun, kid."

Link blushed slightly. "Thanks," he said.

"We're not done here yet, though," she said. "Let's get back on deck and back to Ghashar's ship! We need to sail to the king's location."

Link nodded in agreement, and led the way back up the hold to the lower deck with the torch.

The battle was still going when they reached the deck, but the Soul-less were cornered and losing. Then Link thought of something. "Everyone, grab as many Soul Orbs as you can and then get off this ship!"

"What are you doing, Link?"

"Destroying the ship once and for all," he said, and then he slammed the torch onto the deck of the man-o-war, setting it on fire. Ghashar's men did as they were told and swung across back to the Skull Crusher. "Let's go, Tetra!"

She nodded at him. The two ran as the fire spread rapidly across the deck. A few souls were going to be lost, but there was nothing they could do about it.

When the two reached the edge of the ship, there was only one rope left.

"Looks like we'll have to share," she said. "Hopefully, it won't snap." Tetra grabbed the rope and then beckoned Link to join her. He did so, and together, the two dashed forward and swung across.

Unfortunately, the rope did snap. Link and Tetra were thrown across the gap between the ships and slammed into the deck of the Skull Crusher.

Link felt dizzy and he ran his hand over his head. Blood. He tried to stabilize himself, but he fell to ground, losing consciousness.


	30. Chapter 29: A Soothing Song

Chapter 29: A Soothing Song

Tetra sat on a stool next to Link's bed. Well, it wasn't his bed specifically, but Ghashar had allowed the islander to rest in it. Link's head was bandaged and the bandage was stained. Tetra, despite her attempts to appear concerned as a friend were failing. Her heart was heavy with worry for the boy, and she prayed to the goddesses within her heart that he would survive.

"'ey, Tetra," a voice said next to her. Tetra turned her head and saw Ghashar walk in. "Worried? I ain't surprised; he's a good kid." She nodded, and then she saw him smirk. "Yer blushin'."

Tetra growled. "I am not! He's just a kid!" She folded her arms and looked away; her face did indeed feel warm. "... he's not..."

Ghashar chuckled heartily. "Eh, don't deny it, Tetra," he said. She glared at him. "Worried that carin' will make ya look weak? It won't. That's what made yer crew strong I think—because ya cared."

Tetra said nothing to him, but refrained from glaring at the bokoblin captain further. "I heard yer ship was destroyed by Ganon," he continued. "Are yer mates safe?"

"I don't know," Tetra said to him. She placed her hands on her cheeks, watching the sleeping Link. "I... don't think they survived."

"Mmm..." Ghashar hummed. Tetra noticed him nod and fold his arms.

Silence.

Tetra wanted to ask more about the medallion, but then she saw Link open his eyes and wince. "Link? Are you... feeling better?" she asked, forgetting Ghashar's presence.

"I... think... no. Not really," he said, wincing again. "Agh... my head."

"Sorry, me matey," Ghashar said with a frown. "We don't have any red potions wit' us. That bandage will be the best ye can get. How's yer memory?"

"Why do you ask?" Link said, curious. He winced again and put his left hand on his forehead.

"Ta see if yer brain ain't damaged," Ghashar explained. Link raised a brow at him. "Trust me, ya took a nasty slam into the deck. Me mates are still cleanin' the blood."

"Think slowly," Tetra interjected. "Don't strain your mind too much." _Please, _she begged in her mind. _I pray that Link's all right. Don't let him suffer brain damage._

Link sighed, and appeared to be thinking. He winced again—possibly straining himself too much—and then exhaled. "I remember... throwing the torch on the man-o-war's deck... setting fire to it." He continued at a steady pace. It seemed his memory was functional; for he was able to recount the entire sea battle. "How long have I been out cold?"

"Three hours," Tetra said with a relieved sigh. "Thank Nayru you survived."

Link smiled happily. "You were _that_ worried about me, Tetra?" He winced again, wiping the smile off his face.

"Just rest, kid," Tetra said, patting his covers. "Just rest. Besides, I wasn't... _that_ worried. I just... oh, nevermind!" She looked away; knowing that she was blushing.

Link, in his usual kindness, said, "okay, Tetra. I understand. I'm glad you're all right." Tetra looked at him, and saw him smiling at her again." She couldn't help but smile back.

His words for some odd reason, reminded her about his determination to save her back in Hyrule Castle's prisons: _"__No! I'm going to find a way to save your life without breaking the law! I swear I will!"_

And he had. She wanted to thank him again (and had a slight temptation to gently fall upon him to kiss), but she remained where she was and silent. She glanced over to see if Ghashar had read her expression, but he had vanished. _Oh, goddesses,_ Tetra thought with a groan.

"What's wrong, Tetra?" Link asked.

"Nothing," she lied, shaking her head.

"How long were you sitting there?" Link asked, and then winced severely. "Argh..." He groaned. "The pain...!" Tetra got off the stool and patted the covers again and like a mother rubbed them up and down.

"Just rest, kid. You'll be all right. You've gone through worse than this," she said, her voice soft. "I'll be outside, just yell if you need something, all right?" Link nodded. She smiled again, and then left him in his room.

_What's happening to me?_ Tetra wondered, sighing. _I mean, I did say to him that I had been flirting with him back on the ship, but... you can flirt with friends, right? _She leaned on the wall outside his room. _He's... a friend. Just a friend?_ She looked at her palms as if they had the answer. The same thoughts that had crossed her mind in the caverns back on the island returned. Then, he had been angry at her. But this time, he was happy with her.

Tetra recalled all the times she teased Link for his crush on her. Her pranks while sharing a room with him, the time she played the ocarina, and her kiss on the moblin island. _Except... was that kiss really a tease?_ She felt confused, and shook her head _I want to stop thinking about this._

Fortunately (or not?), Ghashar came down below deck and noticed her. "How's the boy?" he asked.

"Still suffering from the pain," Tetra said, frowning. "I wish we had some red potion. As much as he's just a kid to me, I don't like seeing him like this."

"Aye," Ghashar agreed, he also leaned against a wall—opposite of Tetra—and folded his arms. "It's a shame that Windfall is under Ganondorf's thumb, too." He sighed and frowned. "If it wasn't, we could get 'im a potion."

Tetra's eyes widened. "Has... his reach really extended that far in such a short time?"

"Aye," Ghashar said with a grim nod. "However, me mates and I, along wit' some of Rashu's moblins are tryin' ta retake the city." His expression was hopeful. "Zoras jus' recently joined us, too."

"And...?" Tetra asked, eager to hear more.

"And we're makin' progress," Ghashar said. "But only a dent in 'is forces so far."

"What about the people of Windfall?" she asked, unfolding her arms and shuffling her feet. She gazed at the bokoblin captain, licking her lips in worry.

"Captive, matey," Ghashar said with a frown. "Being held in der buildin's and homes. We've seen large iron bars blocking the doors."

Tetra lowered her head, thinking. Then, she looked up at Ghashar. "Link and I can help. Once he's healed—"

"No," Ghashar said firmly, shaking his head. "Rashu has another task fer ya two. He ordered me ta drop ye off at the Gerudo Desert."

"What?! Why?" Tetra exclaimed, scowling. "That's Ganon's homeland! That's dangerous for the both of us! The gerudos are probably serving him!" She spread out her arms, and grit her teeth, almost growling.

"No, they ain't," Ghashar responded with another shake of his head. "Listen ta me, Tetra, the gerudos hate Ganondorf as much as ye do." He rubbed his head. "Besides, Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule Castle. They are not happy about being abandoned."

Tetra snorted. "And how do you know that the gerudos hate Ganondorf?" she asked, folding her arms again. "Even _I_ didn't have intel like that on those people because I never attacked them."

"Heh. Thought ye would draw Ganondorf's attention?" Ghashar asked with a smirk. Tetra nodded, and Ghashar pointed at her, briefly. "I have attacked the gerudos before... when me was a pirate. I thought they were in league wit' the filthy man meself. I was wrong. The gerudos there despise him because they thought me and my mates were his allies."

Tetra blinked, and rubbed her chin. "Hm..." She nodded after several moments. "I guess you're right. How long until we arrive at the Gerudo Desert?"

"A couple of days me thinks," Ghashar said, biting his lip. "Depends on how the wind treats us."

"The wind... drat!" Tetra snapped her fingers. Ghashar stared at her. "Link has an artifact akin to the Ocarina of Time—the Wind Waker. He can control the direction, speed, and power of the wind with it." She shook her head. "If only Link was in tip-top shape..."

"Yar, I hear ye," Ghashar said with a nod. "That... be a strong artifact, matey. Do ya know if you can use it, Tetra?"

"I could try," Tetra said, blinking. Why did she have the feeling that it wouldn't work for her? "I would ask... but he needs his rest. I hope he's healed by the time we arrive."

"That I do, too," Ghashar said. He turned to leave and go above deck; stopping, he added,"if ye can, see if Link will lend the Wind Waker to ya."

"Deal," Tetra said. Ghashar nodded and then he climbed above deck.

Tetra sighed, adjusting her red neckerchief a little, and then leaning back on the wall again. She closed her eyes, thinking. _If Link dies..._ she immediately shook her head. _He's not going to die. Relax, Tetra. He's wounded, but he'll recover... right/?_

She bit her lip, feeling edgy. Link was her only friend left in the world if the boys were dead. If he did die... no. It wouldn't happen. _I'll make sure of it. ... he saved me from the guillotine. I've... got to do something for him._

But what could she do? Tetra had no idea; there was no way to get a red potion, and there was no way that she could heal him with any magic. _Magic..._ She recalled a song called "The Song of Healing" that might help, but how could she play it without an instrument? Sighing, her hand fell into her Adventurer's Pouch, and then she felt something hard and oval-shaped inside.

Blinking, she pulled out the object only to see the Ocarina of Time. _How the-? No, nevermind!_ Tetra shook her head; her mind turned back to the song. _Maybe if I play it..._ She stopped her thoughts and walked back into Link's room. When she looked at his bed, she noticed that the islander was sleeping.

She licked her lips and then pressed the ocarina to them. Sitting at the stool, Tetra began to play the song. It was sad, melancholy tune that possessed a hint of hope in its melody. Tetra continued to play the song on the ocarina, nothing seemed to happen, so she stood up and walked closer to Link.

Praying in her heart, Tetra heard Link's voice before her. "That's a pretty song, Tetra," he said. She opened her eyes and stopped; Link was smiling at her with gentleness—it caused her to blush a little. "...but where did you get the Ocarina of Time?"

Tetra shook her head and shrugged. "I just... found it in my pouch."

Link, himself, shrugged. "Would you keep playing that song for me, please?" he asked.

Tetra smiled and nodded. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," he said. "The pain... doesn't seem so sharp anymore."

_Good... it might be working._ She put her lips to the ocarina again and played the Song of Healing; her eyes closed, Tetra had no idea if it was actually restoring Link's health. Yet for some odd reason, she seemed to care less and less about that, and more and more about his enjoyment.

After what seemed like an hour of playing, Tetra stopped again, inhaling and then exhaling. She opened her eyes to see him sitting up in bed, still smiling. She blinked, yet smiled back at him. "You look like you're feeling better."

"I am," Link said, nodding. "That... song is very soothing. Where did you learn it, Tetra?"

"Before I met you, kid," she said, smirking. "I... this melody is called the 'Song of Healing.' We... can't get a red potion for you right now, and I kept thinking about how I could help you—don't think that I like you or anything, I just want you back on your feet—and magic came to mind. The Ocarina of Time is as magical as the Wind Waker, so I assumed..."

"That the song would heal my wounds?" Link finished for her. He nodded again. "It does feel like they have been healed, but... I can still feel a slight sting from my head," he added with a frown. "It's a really pretty song, though."

She smiled at him. "Yes, it is."

There was silence between the two; sitting there looking at each other.

When she locked eyes with Link, Tetra looked away, feeling awkward. "Link, we're heading to the Gerudo Desert. Rashu told Ghashar to drop us off there. We should be there in a couple of days, but..." She looked at him again. "It could be a lot faster if we used the Wind Waker."

"Yeah, it would be, but I need to recover, Tetra," Link pointed out. He cocked his head to side; obviously healthier. "And if you're asking to use it, you can't. Rashu told me that it only reacts to one person; like the Master Sword."

Tetra sighed, and cocked her lips to the left. "Drat... well, I suppose it's for the best anyway," she said with a shrug. Despite the fact that the Wind Waker would reject her, Tetra felt a little relieved that they would be sailing a little longer. _Why?_

"Tetra?" Link's voice broke her thoughts and regained her attention. "Are you okay? You looked dazed for a second. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing that's your business, kid," Tetra said, trying to be tough again. She heard him laugh and she snapped her head in his direction.

"... you like me, don't you?" Link said.

"Wh-wha?!" Tetra exclaimed, her face warm. "Are you joking? At most, you're just a friend! I don't have romantic feelings for you!" She swallowed quietly and scowled at him.

However, his smile didn't fade. "Okay, Tetra," he said, obviously pretending to believe her. She looked away, folding her arms angrily. Tetra licked her teeth under her lips, again thinking.

_ I hate how smug he's acting._

"Tetra?"

She rolled her eyes. "What is it, kid?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to anger... ugh!" Tetra looked over to see Link grimace and grasp his head. "Ow... ow... sharp," he moaned.

Tetra's anger abated, and she began to play again. _Hang in there, Link._

-S-

Link found himself falling; falling into endless darkness. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. Is this what it was like to be descending a bottomless pit? Suddenly, blinding light flash around him, and he felt ground under his feet.

Link opened his eyes and saw himself in a desert. He looked around for anyone familiar. "Tetra? Rashu? Ghashar? Anyone?" he called out. No one answered him; just silence. He tried again. "Aryll? Grandma? Orca?"

He sighed as he was met again with silence; where could they all be?

Then, the ground shifted beneath him; Link reached for the Master Sword, but to his shock, his hand merely grabbed air. The weight of his shield was gone, and as he peered about, there was no adventure pouch either. _What the-?_

The ground shifted again, and licked his lips. He ran forward only to trip on a rock. He tasted sand, and sat up, spitting it out.

That's when he heard the piercing roar. He spun around to see a giant worm fly out of the sand and into the air. Suddenly, the worm turned toward, opened its wide mouth and swallowed him.

-S-

Tetra nearly fell off the stool when Link screamed. She had played the Song of Healing until he had fell asleep, not expecting a sudden outburst.

"Link!" She jumped off the stool, and ran to his bed. "Link!" she repeated. "What's wrong?" All of her pride forgotten, Tetra placed her hand on his head; he didn't wince and she bit her lip in worry. _If it's not the pain... then what?_

"A dream..." Link exhaled, his eyes wide. "A nightmare, really." He grabbed Tetra's hand, as if for support. He didn't smile, didn't tease, but he looked at her as if she could save him from the nightmare. Her face didn't feel a bit warm, in fact, it felt slightly clammy.

"Tetra licked her lips. "What was it about?" she asked slowly, sitting down on his bed.

Link began to tell her; as he progressed through the dream, Tetra became more and more fearful. _These dreams... are like the ones I have. Oh, please, Nayru, don't let this be a prophetic one. _What would she do if Link was swallowed alive by a monster? She placed her other hand on her heart, breathing slowly.

"It's just a dream," Link said, assuring her. He made a weak smile. "Don't... worry too much, Tetra. But... thank you for your concern."

Tetra smiled at him. "Sure, anytime, kid," she said, her voice gentle. Link smiled back and released her hand. She removed it from his head and then sat back down on the stool.

"Uh... Tetra?" Link said.

"What is it?" She noticed him peering out the window in his room.

"It's nighttime," he noted, pointing at it. "Shouldn't you find a place to sleep? I mean... two days from now—"

Tetra raised her hand to silence him. "It's all right. Ghashar assigned me a room, which is next to yours," she explained. "I'll go to my bed when you're asleep. Just relax, kid." She put the Ocarina of Time to her mouth, and played the Song of Healing again.

It was not long before Tetra saw Link close his eyes and quietly drift to sleep.

-S-

_Two days later..._

Link and Tetra were on the upper deck of the Skull Crusher. Link had mostly recovered; the bandage had been removed, however he bit his lip whenever the pain came back. It was nowhere near as strong as the sharp pain from two days ago, but it was still noticeable.

_I really owe Tetra one, _he thought. Link had already thanked the pirate girl earlier, but Tetra had brushed it aside, comparing it to when he had taken care of her when she had been poisoned.

_ I still wonder... how did she get the ocarina back?_ Neither of them had figured that mystery out. They both had asked Ghashar about it, and yet the former pirate knew as much as they did; which was almost nothing.

"Land ho!" called the bokoblin from the crow's nest. Link ran to the front of the ship and looked. There, before the ship was a massive desert. He swallowed; it looked very similar to the one in his nightmare. Staring at the desert in quiet terror, Link felt something nudge him, causing him to jump.

"Tetra?!" he exclaimed. She blinked, looking at him in confusion. "Don't scare me like that," he said, placing his hand on his chest. There was an awkward pause, and then he added, "sorry, it's... that desert."

"That's the Gerudo Desert, kid," she said, cocking her head to the side. "It's where Rashu told Ghashar to drop us off, remember? ... Let me guess... this looks like the desert from your dream."

"Yeah," Link said, licking his lips. He checked himself, and saw that all of his equipment was with him. "But... it was just a nightmare, right?" _Then again, I've never seen a desert before! How would my mind know what it looks like?_

Tetra patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Link. You'll be fine," she said, winking at him. "Get your backbone into place! Where'd the heroic kid I know go, eh?"

Link smiled and then laughed. "Thanks, Tetra. I needed that," he said to her, looking.

"No problem," she said with a smirk. "Just don't become a coward on me, all right?" Tetra added, elbowing him in the ribs. "Besides, if Ghashar's right, then these gerudos will be friendly."

Soon, the ship turned in order to 'dock' at the massive rock formations between them and the desert. The sky was clear as crystal, and yet Link could already feel the heat of the sun beating down on him. He wondered if it would get worse as they entered.

"A'right, mateys!" Ghashar called out, breaking Link's thoughts. "Sail to the edge of the desert, and then lower the gangplank!"

"Aye-aye, cap'n!"

"All right, Link," Tetra said to him. "Are you ready for this? You have everything?" Link nodded at her. "Good. Then, let's get ready to depart." She walked away from him, and went to the port side of the ship where the bokoblins were assembling the gangplank in preparation for landing.

Link took one last look at the desert and then went to join Tetra. Would they meet Rashu? Or someone else? He—and Tetra—would have to find out.


End file.
